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#Impact craters

Scars left by asteroid and comet impacts on Earth, from small pits to giant basins.

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Lessons (1)

Craters: when big rocks hitMost meteorites land quite gently, but every so often a much larger space rock hits the ground hard and blasts out a huge hole called an imp

Courses (12)

The energy of impacts and airburstsImpact energies range from a firecracker to the end of the dinosaurs. This lesson quantifies them, compares airbursts with cratering impacts
Shock, craters and deflecting an asteroidHypervelocity impacts generate shock pressures that transform minerals. This final lesson connects shock metamorphism, crater evidence and t
A-level: The physics and chemistry of meteoritesTwelve lessons that apply A-level physics, chemistry and geology to meteorites: gravitational fields and Kepler's laws, impact and entry
Impacts in Earth's historyImpacts have shaped Earth from its formation to the present. This lesson looks at craters, the end of the dinosaurs, modern airbursts and ho
The kinetic energy of space rocksBecause they move so fast, even small meteoroids carry huge amounts of energy. This lesson uses the kinetic energy equation to explain fireb
Space rocks make holesA very big space rock can hit the ground so hard that it makes a giant round hole. It is called a crater. You can make your own!
Craters: when big rocks hitSmall meteorites land with a thud, but large ones hit so hard that they blast out a crater.
The end of the dinosaursAbout 66 million years ago an asteroid struck Earth and helped end the age of the dinosaurs.
Key Stage 2: Rocks from spaceTwelve lessons on meteorites for Years 3 to 6: what they are, where they come from, how to test a rock like a scientist, craters, the end of
Impacts, environmental change and extinctionAbout 66 million years ago an asteroid impact changed Earth's environment so fast that three quarters of species died out.
Investigating cratersImpact craters are found on every rocky world. In this lesson you will plan a fair investigation into crater size and connect it to the ener
Key Stage 3: Meteorites and the Solar SystemTwelve lessons for Years 7 to 9 that use meteorites to teach space physics, forces, density, energy, the rock cycle, elements and compounds,

Books (1)

Teaching Meteorites: Lesson Plans and ActivitiesTwenty-five complete lesson plans, from Year 1 to GCSE, that use meteorites, meteors and impacts to teach the National Curriculum for Englan

Famous meteorites (8)

BacubiritoA long, heavy iron from the mountains of north-western Mexico, now displayed at a science centre in Culiacán.
BrenhamA Kansas farmer's wife collected heavy black rocks for years – and proved scientists wrong about where they came from.
Campo del CieloA field of small craters in northern Argentina, where more than 100 tonnes of iron fell from the sky about four thousand years ago.
Canyon DiabloThe iron that made Meteor Crater in Arizona – and helped scientists measure the age of the Earth.
CarancasIn 2007 a stony meteorite blasted a crater near Lake Titicaca – something scientists had not expected a rock its size to do.
HobaThe heaviest known meteorite on Earth has never been moved from the spot where it landed.
Sikhote-AlinIn 1947 an iron meteoroid shattered over the Russian Far East, raining tonnes of metal and blasting more than 100 craters.
The Tunguska eventIn 1908 a cosmic body exploded over Siberia and flattened some 80 million trees – the largest impact event in recorded history.

Meteorite types (1)

IAB ironsIrons with stony inclusions, from a partly melted asteroid. Canyon Diablo and Campo del Cielo.

Space missions (8)

Chang'e 4The first spacecraft to land softly on the far side of the Moon. Chang'e 4 touched down on 3 January 2019 in Von Kármán crater, a crater
Chang'e 5China's first Moon samples, and the youngest lava ever brought back from the Moon. Chang'e 5 was the first lunar sample return since
Chang'e 6The first samples ever brought back from the far side of the Moon. The far side of the Moon always faces away from Earth, so a lander there
CuriosityA car-sized laboratory exploring an ancient lake bed, and finding iron meteorites on the way.
Hayabusa2Pieces of a carbon-rich asteroid that turned out to be the purest primitive rock ever studied. Hayabusa2 reached the asteroid Ryugu in June
Luna 20A robot's sample of the bright, ancient highlands of the Moon. Luna 20 was the second successful Soviet sample return, and the first to
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSSA Moon mapper that watches new craters form, and a rocket stage crashed to find polar ice.
Perseverance and Mars Sample ReturnA rover filling sealed tubes with Martian rock for a trip home that has yet to be arranged.

Meteorite minerals (5)

BarringeriteA phosphorus-rich iron–nickel phosphide first found in a pallasite. Barringerite contains more phosphorus than schreibersite, with two metal
CoesiteA high-pressure form of silica that marks impacts on Earth and occurs in some shocked meteorites. Coesite is silica packed more densely than
LonsdaleiteA hexagonal form of diamond made by shock, first found in the Canyon Diablo meteorite.
PentlanditeAn iron–nickel sulphide found with pyrrhotite in carbonaceous chondrites. Pentlandite is a sulphide of iron and nickel in roughly equal amou
StishoviteA very dense form of silica, made by impacts, in which silicon is surrounded by six oxygen atoms.

Questions and answers (38)

Can I make my own crater?Yes! Drop pebbles or marbles into a tray of flour topped with cocoa powder, and you will make craters with rays, just like on the Moon.
Do meteorites bury themselves when they land?Most small meteorites land at a few hundred kilometres per hour and make only a shallow pit.
Do meteorites fall on other planets?Yes. Meteorites have been found on Mars by rovers, and impacts are seen on many planets and moons.
Do meteorites make a crater when they land?Most don't. Ordinary meteorites are slowed to free-fall speed by the air and make only a small pit.
Does the Moon still get hit by meteorites?Yes. The Moon is struck constantly by meteoroids, and telescopes on Earth see impact flashes, while orbiting spacecraft have photographed ne
How can I assess pupils' understanding of meteorites?Use quick quizzes, concept maps, explain-a-diagram tasks, practical write-ups and misconception checks to see what pupils know and can apply
How can I introduce meteorites to a primary class?Start with a story or an object, use simple words, and let pupils investigate: compare rocks, try a magnet, make craters and watch for shoot
How can I teach kinetic energy using impacts?Use the equation half m v squared with real meteoroid speeds to show why small space rocks carry enormous energy and why speed matters more
How can I teach mass extinctions using the Chicxulub impact?Use the evidence chain, iridium layer, shocked quartz, spherules and the buried crater, to show how scientists linked an asteroid to the end
How can I use the Start here course levels in class?Match the beginner, explorer, enthusiast and expert levels to your pupils' ages and confidence, and use the lessons' quizzes for sta
How can pupils estimate surface ages by counting craters?Pupils count craters in equal-sized areas on images of the Moon or Mars and compare regions, learning that more craters usually means an old
How can pupils observe craters on the Moon?With binoculars or a small telescope, pupils can see many craters, best along the terminator, the line between light and dark, rather than a
How could I plan a sequence of meteorite lessons for 11 to 14-year-olds?A six-lesson sequence might move from the journey of a meteorite, through types and identification, craters and energy, dating and origins,
How did the Moon get its craters?Almost all of the Moon's craters were made by asteroids and comets hitting it; with no air, no weather and almost no geological activity
How do I run a crater experiment as a fair test?Change one variable, such as drop height or ball mass, keep everything else the same, repeat each drop three times and measure crater diamet
How do scientists prove a crater was made by an impact?They look for evidence that only an impact can produce, such as shatter cones, shocked quartz, high-pressure minerals, impact melt and meteo
How was Meteor Crater shown to be an impact crater?After decades of debate, Eugene Shoemaker showed in the early 1960s that Meteor Crater contains coesite and stishovite and shocked rocks, pr
Is moldavite a meteorite?No. Moldavite is green natural glass formed from Earth rock melted by an impact in southern Germany about 14.8 million years ago.
What age is right to start teaching about meteorites?Any age. Children as young as four or five enjoy shooting stars and space rocks, and the topic can deepen all the way to university level.
What are good meteorite science fair projects?Good projects include crater experiments, density studies, meteor counting, micrometeorite searches, rust prevention trials and modelling fi
What are the largest meteorites to fall in Britain?The largest single stone seen to fall in Britain is Wold Cottage (Yorkshire, 1795) at about 25 kg, while the largest total mass from one fal
What are the legends of the Kaali crater?The Kaali crater on the Estonian island of Saaremaa was formed by an iron meteorite impact a few thousand years ago and may be linked to loc
What happened to the asteroid that hit the dinosaurs?It was mostly destroyed in the impact, vaporising and melting. It left a huge crater, now buried under Mexico, and a thin layer of dust arou
What is a crater?A crater is a round hollow in the ground made when a fast space rock smashes into a planet or moon. Volcanoes can make craters too.
What is a shatter cone?A shatter cone is a cone-shaped fracture in rock with radiating grooves, formed by the shock wave of a meteorite impact.
What is Ceres like?Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, a dwarf planet about 940 kilometres across, with a crust of rock, ice and salts and bright
What is Meteor Crater in Arizona?Meteor Crater, also called Barringer Crater, is a bowl about 1.2 km wide and 170 m deep in the Arizona desert, blasted out around 50,000 yea
What is the biggest crater on Earth?The biggest known is Vredefort in South Africa. It was once about 160 to 300 kilometres across and is about 2 billion years old.
What is the biggest impact crater on Earth?The biggest confirmed impact structure is Vredefort in South Africa, formed about 2 billion years ago, with an original diameter estimated a
What is the largest meteorite ever found?The largest known meteorite is the Hoba iron in Namibia, estimated at about 60 tonnes; it was found in 1920 and still lies where it landed.
What killed the dinosaurs?Most scientists agree that the main cause was an asteroid about 10 km across that struck Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula 66 million years ago
What misconceptions do pupils have about meteorites?Common ones are that shooting stars are stars, that meteorites are hot or radioactive, that most are huge, and that every heavy dark rock is
What safe meteorite experiments can pupils do in class?Crater-making in flour, density measurements, magnet tests, sorting rocks, modelling meteor showers and half-life simulations are all safe a
What was the Carancas meteorite event?On 15 September 2007, a stony meteorite struck the ground near Carancas in Peru, making a crater about 14 metres wide, a rare case of a ston
What was the Tunguska event?On 30 June 1908 a large space rock exploded in the air over a remote part of Siberia, flattening around 80 million trees across more than 2,
What was Tutankhamun's meteorite dagger?It is an iron-bladed dagger found wrapped with the mummy of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun; a 2016 study showed that its blade is made of met
Why does Earth have fewer craters than the Moon?Earth has been hit just as often, but wind, rain, rivers, plants and moving continents slowly wipe craters away.
Why does the Moon have dark patches?The dark patches are huge plains of dark volcanic rock called maria, made when lava flooded giant craters billions of years ago.

Impact craters (197)

AcramanAcraman, in the Gawler Ranges of South Australia, is a crater whose story was pieced together from two places about 300 km apart.
Amelia CreekAmelia Creek is a deeply eroded impact structure in the Davenport Ranges of the Northern Territory, Australia, south-east of Tennant Creek.
AmesAmes is a buried impact crater about 16 km across in Major County, northern Oklahoma, in the United States.
AmguidAmguid is a small, beautifully preserved impact crater in the Sahara Desert of central Algeria.
AoroungaAorounga lies deep in the Sahara in northern Chad, in one of the most remote and wind-swept landscapes on Earth.
AouelloulAouelloul is a small, simple impact crater about 390 m across in the Adrar region of the Sahara, in Mauritania.
AraguainhaAraguainha is the largest impact structure in South America, about 40 km across, in central Brazil on the border between the states of Mato
AvakAvak is a buried impact structure about 12 km across on the North Slope of Alaska, close to the town of Utqiaġvik, the northernmost town in
Barringer Crater (Meteor Crater)Barringer Crater, better known as Meteor Crater, is the world's best-known and best-preserved young impact crater.
BeaverheadBeaverhead is one of the oldest and largest impact structures in North America, estimated to have been about 60 km across when it formed.
Beyenchime-SalaatinBeyenchime-Salaatin is an impact structure about 8 km across in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), northern Siberia, in Russia.
BigachBigach is an impact structure about 8 km across in the steppe of East Kazakhstan, not far from the border with China. What it hit.
BoltyshBoltysh is a buried impact crater in central Ukraine, in the Kirovohrad region. You cannot see it at the surface, where it lies beneath fiel
BosumtwiLake Bosumtwi, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, fills one of the youngest and best-preserved large impact craters on Earth.
BoxholeBoxhole is a small, well-preserved meteorite crater in the Northern Territory of Australia, about 180 km north-east of Alice Springs.
BPBP, also known as Gebel Dalma, is an eroded impact structure about 3.2 km across in the Libyan Desert, in south-eastern Libya.
BrentBrent is a simple bowl-shaped crater about 3.8 km across in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada.
CalvinCalvin is a buried impact structure about 8.5 km across in Cass County, south-western Michigan, in the United States.
Campo del CieloCampo del Cielo, meaning 'field of the sky', is a field of at least 20 small craters in the Gran Chaco plains of northern Argentina,
CarancasOn 15 September 2007 a fireball streaked across the sky over the Altiplano, the high plateau of southern Peru, near Lake Titicaca.
CarswellCarswell is an eroded impact structure about 39 km across in the far north of Saskatchewan, Canada, on the western side of the Athabasca Bas
Cerro do JarauCerro do Jarau is an impact structure about 13.5 km across in the pampas of Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, close to th
CharlevoixCharlevoix, on the north shore of the St Lawrence River in Quebec, is one of the few large impact craters where many thousands of people liv
Chesapeake BayMillions of people live and work above the Chesapeake Bay crater without ever seeing it.
ChicxulubChicxulub is the crater that ended the age of the dinosaurs. About 66 million years ago an asteroid roughly 10 km across struck the shallow
ChiyliChiyli is an impact structure about 5.5 km across in the steppe of Aktobe Province, western Kazakhstan. What it hit.
ChukchaChukcha is an impact structure about 6 km across on the Taymyr Peninsula in the far north of Siberia, Russia.
Clearwater LakesThe Clearwater Lakes, in northern Quebec near Hudson Bay, are one of the most famous sights in impact geology.
Cloud CreekCloud Creek is a buried impact crater about 7 km across in Natrona County, central Wyoming, in the United States.
ColôniaColônia is an impact crater about 3.6 km across on the southern outskirts of São Paulo, Brazil, one of the largest cities in the world.
Connolly BasinConnolly Basin is an impact structure about 9 km across in the Gibson Desert of Western Australia, one of the most remote parts of the conti
CoutureCouture is an impact crater about 8 km across, filled by the round waters of Lac Couture in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, in Canada
CrawfordCrawford is a deeply eroded impact structure about 8.5 km across in South Australia, north-east of Adelaide.
Crooked CreekCrooked Creek is an eroded impact structure about 7 km across in Crawford County, in the Ozark region of Missouri, in the United States.
DalgarangaDalgaranga is a small meteorite crater about 24 m across and 3 m deep in the Murchison region of Western Australia.
DecaturvilleDecaturville is an eroded impact structure about 6 km across in Camden County, Missouri, in the United States.
DecorahDecorah is a buried impact crater about 5.6 km across beneath the town of Decorah in north-eastern Iowa, in the United States.
Deep BayDeep Bay is an impact crater about 13 km across forming a round bay at the southern end of Reindeer Lake, in north-eastern Saskatchewan, Can
DellenDellen is an eroded impact structure about 19 km across in the province of Hälsingland, central Sweden.
Des PlainesDes Plaines is a buried impact structure about 8 km across beneath the north-western suburbs of Chicago, in Illinois, in the United States.
DhalaDhala is an ancient impact structure about 11 km across near the village of Dhala in Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, central India.
DobeleDobele is a buried impact structure about 4.5 km across near the town of Dobele in western Latvia. It is the only known impact structure in
Eagle ButteEagle Butte is a buried impact structure about 10 km across in the prairie of south-eastern Alberta, in Canada. Discovery.
ElbowElbow is a buried impact crater about 8 km across in southern Saskatchewan, in Canada, named after the nearby village of Elbow on the bend o
El'gygytgynEl'gygytgyn is a crater lake in Chukotka, in the far north-east of Russia, about 100 km north of the Arctic Circle.
FlaxmanFlaxman is a deeply eroded impact structure about 10 km across in South Australia, north-east of Adelaide, a few kilometres from the similar
Flynn CreekFlynn Creek is a small impact crater about 3.8 km across in north-central Tennessee, in the United States.
FoelscheFoelsche is an eroded impact structure about 6 km across in the Northern Territory of Australia, south-west of the town of Borroloola, in th
GardnosGardnos, in the valley of Hallingdal in southern Norway, is an ancient impact crater known for its unusual black rocks.
GlasfordGlasford is a buried impact structure about 4 km across in Peoria County, central Illinois, in the United States. Discovery.
GliksonGlikson is an eroded impact structure about 19 km across in the Little Sandy Desert of Western Australia.
Glover BluffGlover Bluff is a deeply eroded impact structure in Marquette County, south-central Wisconsin, in the United States.
Goat PaddockGoat Paddock is an impact crater about 5 km across in the rugged Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Gosses BluffGosses Bluff rises abruptly from the flat plains of the Northern Territory, about 175 km west of Alice Springs.
GowGow is a small impact crater about 4 to 5 km across in northern Saskatchewan, in Canada, filled by the waters of Gow Lake, south of the much
GoyderGoyder is an eroded impact structure about 3 km across in Arnhem Land, in the north of the Northern Territory, Australia. What it hit.
GranbyGranby is a buried impact crater about 3 km across in Östergötland, southern Sweden, just east of Lake Vättern.
GusevGusev is a small buried impact crater about 3 km across in Rostov Oblast, southern Russia.
Gweni-FadaGweni-Fada is a crater that was found from space. It lies in the Ennedi region of north-eastern Chad, a remote area of sandstone plateaus, c
HaughtonHaughton Crater, on Devon Island in Canada's High Arctic territory of Nunavut, is often described as the closest thing to Mars on Earth.
HavilandThe Haviland crater, in Kiowa County, Kansas, in the United States, is one of the smallest known meteorite craters on Earth, only about 15 m
HenburyThe Henbury craters lie in the red desert of the Northern Territory, about 130 km south-west of Alice Springs.
HiawathaHiawatha is an impact crater about 31 km across hidden beneath the ice sheet of north-west Greenland.
HickmanHickman is a meteorite crater about 260 m across and 30 m deep in the Ophthalmia Range of the Pilbara, Western Australia, north of the minin
HollefordHolleford is a small, simple impact crater about 2.35 km across in farmland north of Kingston, in eastern Ontario, Canada.
HummelnHummeln is a small impact crater about 1.2 km across, filled by the round waters of Lake Hummeln in the province of Småland, south-eastern S
Île RouleauÎle Rouleau is a small island in Lake Mistassini, the largest natural lake in Quebec, in Canada.
IlumetsaIlumetsa is a pair of small craters in the forest of Põlva County, south-eastern Estonia, about 725 m apart.
IlyinetsIlyinets is an impact structure about 8.5 km across near the town of Illintsi (Ilyinets) in Vinnytsia Oblast, central Ukraine. What it hit.
Iso-NaakkimaIso-Naakkima is a buried impact crater about 3 km across near the town of Pieksämäki in eastern Finland. It is one of Finland's oldest k
Jabal Waqf as SuwwanJabal Waqf as Suwwan is an impact structure about 5.5 km across in the desert of central Jordan, about 125 km south-east of Amman. What can
JänisjärviJänisjärvi is an impact structure about 14 km across in the Republic of Karelia, north-western Russia, filled by Lake Jänisjärvi, north of L
Jeokjung-Chogye BasinThe Jeokjung-Chogye Basin, in Hapcheon County in the south-east of South Korea, is a round basin about 7 km across ringed by mountains.
JinlinJinlin is an impact crater about 900 m across on a hillside near Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province, southern China.
KaaliKaali, on the Estonian island of Saaremaa in the Baltic Sea, is one of the few meteorite craters that probably formed while people were livi
KalkkopKalkkop is a small impact crater about 640 m across in the semi-desert Karoo of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, near the town of Graaff-Rein
KalugaKaluga is a buried impact crater about 15 km across beneath the city of Kaluga, about 160 km south-west of Moscow, in Russia. Discovery.
KamenskKamensk is a buried impact crater about 25 km across in Rostov Oblast, southern Russia, near the border with Ukraine.
KamilKamil Crater, in the remote south-western corner of Egypt, is one of the freshest-looking impact craters on Earth.
KaraThe Kara structure lies on the Arctic coast of Russia, at the northern end of the Pai-Khoi hills near the Kara Sea, west of the Ural Mountai
KarakulKarakul is an impact structure about 52 km across in the Pamir Mountains of eastern Tajikistan.
KärdlaKärdla is an impact crater about 4 km across on the island of Hiiumaa, off the west coast of Estonia.
KarikkoselkäKarikkoselkä is a small impact crater about 1.4 km across, forming a round bay of Lake Päijänne in central Finland, near the town of Petäjäv
KarlaKarla is an impact crater about 10 km across in the Republic of Tatarstan, western Russia, near the Volga.
Kelly WestKelly West is an eroded impact structure in the Northern Territory of Australia, east of Tennant Creek.
KentlandKentland is an impact structure about 7 km across in north-western Indiana, in the United States.
KeurusselkäKeurusselkä is a deeply eroded impact structure in central Finland, centred on the lake of the same name near the town of Keuruu.
KgagodiKgagodi is an impact crater about 3.5 km across in the Central District of eastern Botswana.
KurskKursk is a buried impact structure about 6 km across beneath the city of Kursk, in western Russia. Discovery.
La MoinerieLa Moinerie is an impact crater about 8 km across in northern Quebec, in Canada, occupied by Lac La Moinerie, a lake south-west of Ungava Ba
LappajärviLake Lappajärvi, in the region of South Ostrobothnia in western Finland, fills an ancient impact crater.
Lawn HillLawn Hill is an eroded impact structure about 18 km across in north-western Queensland, Australia, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Par
LiverpoolLiverpool is a small impact crater about 1.6 km across in Arnhem Land, in the far north of the Northern Territory, Australia. What can be se
LockneLockne, in the province of Jämtland in central Sweden, is one of the best-studied examples of a crater formed in the sea.
LoganchaLogancha is an eroded impact structure about 20 km across in the remote Evenk district of central Siberia, Russia, north of the Lower Tungus
LogoiskLogoisk is a buried impact crater about 15 km across near the town of Lahojsk (also spelled Logoisk), north-east of Minsk, in Belarus.
LonarLonar Crater, in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra in western India, is one of the few well-preserved impact craters formed in basalt, th
LuiziLuizi is an impact structure about 17 km across in the Haut-Katanga region of south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
LumparnLumparn is a bay in the Åland Islands, between Finland and Sweden, which fills an impact structure about 9 km across. Discovery.
MachaMacha is a field of small impact craters in the Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia, in eastern Siberia.
MålingenMålingen is a small impact crater about 1 km across in Jämtland, central Sweden, about 16 km from the much larger Lockne crater.
ManicouaganSeen from orbit, Manicouagan looks like a giant eye staring up from the forests of Quebec.
MansonManson, in north-west Iowa, is one of the largest impact structures in the United States, a crater about 35 km across hidden completely bene
Maple CreekMaple Creek is a buried impact structure about 6 km across in south-western Saskatchewan, in Canada, near the town of the same name. Discove
MarquezMarquez is a buried impact crater about 12.7 km across in Leon County, east Texas, in the United States.
Matt WilsonMatt Wilson is an eroded impact structure about 7.5 km across in the Victoria River district of the Northern Territory, Australia. What it h
MiddlesboroMiddlesboro, in Bell County, south-eastern Kentucky, in the United States, is one of very few towns built inside an impact crater.
MienMien is an impact structure about 9 km across in southern Småland, Sweden, whose centre is filled by the round Lake Mien. What it hit.
Mishina GoraMishina Gora is a small impact structure about 2.5 km across in Pskov Oblast, north-western Russia, close to the border with Estonia.
Mistastin (Kamestastin)Mistastin Lake, known to the Innu as Kamestastin, lies in the tundra and forest of northern Labrador, in eastern Canada.
MizaraiMizarai is a buried impact crater about 5 km across in Alytus district, southern Lithuania, close to the borders with Poland and Belarus. Di
MjølnirMjølnir is a crater hidden beneath the sea. It lies under the floor of the Barents Sea, north of Norway, buried beneath younger sediments in
MontagnaisMontagnais is a buried crater about 45 km across on the continental shelf off Nova Scotia, in eastern Canada.
MonturaquiMonturaqui is a small meteorite crater in one of the driest places on Earth, the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
MoraskoMorasko, on the northern outskirts of the city of Poznań in western Poland, is one of the few meteorite crater fields in Europe and the only
MorokwengMorokweng, in South Africa's North West Province near the border with Botswana, is a large impact structure hidden beneath the sands of
Mount ToondinaMount Toondina is an eroded impact structure about 4 km across in the desert of northern South Australia, near the town of Oodnadatta. What
NeugrundNeugrund is an impact crater about 8 km across on the floor of the Gulf of Finland, off the north-western coast of Estonia, near the island
NewporteNewporte is a buried impact structure about 3.2 km across in Renville County, North Dakota, in the United States, close to the border with C
NicholsonNicholson is an impact structure about 12.5 km across in the remote tundra of the south-eastern Northwest Territories, in Canada, mostly fil
Nördlinger RiesThe Ries is a crater people live in. Its floor is a broad, flat plain of farmland and villages in Bavaria, southern Germany, and at its hear
OasisOasis is an eroded impact structure in the Libyan Desert of south-eastern Libya, about 80 km south of the smaller BP structure.
Obolon'Obolon' is a buried impact crater about 20 km across in Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine, named after a nearby village. Discovery.
OdessaThe Odessa crater, in west Texas in the United States, is a small impact crater about 168 m across made by an iron meteorite.
OuarkzizOuarkziz is an eroded impact structure about 3.5 km across in the desert of Tindouf Province, western Algeria, close to the border with Moro
PaasselkäPaasselkä is an impact structure about 10 km across in eastern Finland, filled by a round basin of the lake Paasivesi, part of the Saimaa la
PantasmaPantasma is an impact crater about 14 km across in the mountains of the department of Jinotega, northern Nicaragua.
PiccaninnyPiccaninny is an eroded impact structure about 7 km across in the Bungle Bungle Range of Purnululu National Park, in the Kimberley region of
PilotPilot is an impact crater about 6 km across, filled by the waters of Pilot Lake in the southern Northwest Territories of Canada, not far fro
PingualuitPingualuit Crater, on the Ungava Peninsula in Nunavik, northern Quebec, is one of the most beautiful impact craters in the world.
PopigaiPopigai, in the far north of Siberia, is one of the largest well-preserved impact craters on Earth.
Presqu'îlePresqu'île is a deeply eroded impact structure about 24 km across in the forests and lakes of central Quebec, in Canada, about 30 km nor
Puchezh-KatunkiPuchezh-Katunki is a large impact structure on the Volga River in European Russia, between the cities of Nizhny Novgorod and Ivanovo.
RagozinkaRagozinka is a buried impact crater about 9 km across on the eastern side of the Ural Mountains, in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. What it hit.
Red WingRed Wing is a buried impact crater about 9 km across in McKenzie County, western North Dakota, in the United States.
RiachãoRiachão, sometimes called Riachão Ring, is an eroded impact structure about 4.5 km across in the state of Maranhão, north-eastern Brazil, in
RitlandRitland is an impact crater about 2.7 km across in the mountains of Rogaland, south-western Norway, near the village of Ritland, east of Sta
RochechouartRochechouart, in the Limousin region of western France, is an impact structure that you cannot see as a crater at all.
Rock ElmRock Elm is an eroded impact structure about 6 km across in Pierce County, western Wisconsin, in the United States.
Roter KammRoter Kamm, in the southern Namib Desert of Namibia, is a crater surrounded by sand. Its name is German for "red comb", after the
RotmistrovkaRotmistrovka is a small buried impact crater about 2.7 km across in Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. Discovery.
SääksjärviSääksjärvi is an impact structure about 6 km across beneath a round lake of the same name near Kokemäki, south-western Finland. Discovery.
SaarijärviSaarijärvi is a small impact crater about 1.5 km across beneath a lake of the same name near Taivalkoski in north-eastern Finland. Discovery
Saint MartinSaint Martin is a partly buried impact structure about 40 km across in the Interlake region of Manitoba, in central Canada.
Santa FeThe Santa Fe impact structure lies in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just north-east of Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico, in the United S
Santa MartaSanta Marta is an eroded impact structure about 10 km across in the state of Piauí, in north-eastern Brazil.
SaqqarSaqqar is a buried impact structure about 34 km across in north-western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest known impact structure in the Middle
Serpent MoundThe Serpent Mound structure is an eroded impact crater about 8 km across in southern Ohio, in the United States.
Serra da CangalhaSerra da Cangalha is one of the most spectacular impact structures in South America, a series of rings of hills about 13 km across in the st
ShoemakerShoemaker is an eroded impact structure about 30 km across in central Western Australia, north of Wiluna.
ShunakShunak is a small impact crater about 2.8 km across in the semi-desert of Karaganda Province, central Kazakhstan. What can be seen.
Sierra MaderaSierra Madera is a deeply eroded impact structure about 13 km across in the desert of west Texas, in the United States.
Sikhote-AlinOn the morning of 12 February 1947 one of the largest meteorite falls in recorded history struck the Sikhote-Alin mountains in the far east
SiljanSiljan, in the heart of Sweden's Dalarna province, is the largest known impact structure in western Europe.
Slate IslandsThe Slate Islands are a group of islands in northern Lake Superior, off the town of Terrace Bay in Ontario, Canada.
SobolevSobolev is a small meteorite crater about 53 m across in the forested Sikhote-Alin mountains of Primorsky Krai, in far-eastern Russia.
SöderfjärdenSöderfjärden is an impact structure about 6.6 km across near the town of Vaasa, on the west coast of Finland.
SpiderSpider is an eroded impact structure about 13 km across in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Steen RiverSteen River is a buried impact crater about 25 km across in north-western Alberta, Canada.
SteinheimSteinheim, on the Swabian Alb in Baden-Württemberg, is the smaller sister of the Nördlinger Ries.
StrangwaysStrangways is an eroded impact structure about 25 km across in the remote north of the Northern Territory, Australia, south-east of Katherin
SudburySudbury in Ontario is one of the largest and oldest impact structures on Earth, and almost certainly the most valuable.
Suvasvesi NorthSuvasvesi North is an impact crater about 3.5 km across beneath Kuukkarinselkä, the northern part of the lake Suvasvesi in eastern Finland.
Suvasvesi SouthSuvasvesi South is an impact structure about 3.8 km across beneath Haapaselkä, the southern part of the lake Suvasvesi in eastern Finland. D
Tabun-Khara-OboTabun-Khara-Obo is a small impact crater about 1.3 km across in the eastern Gobi Desert of Mongolia. What can be seen.
TalemzaneTalemzane is a small, simple impact crater about 1.75 km across on a limestone plateau in Laghouat Province, northern Algeria, south of the
TenoumerTenoumer is one of the most perfect-looking craters on Earth. It rises out of the flat, gravelly plains of the Sahara in north-western Mauri
TernovkaTernovka, also called Terny, is an impact structure about 11 km across on the northern outskirts of Kryvyi Rih, a major iron-mining city in
Tin BiderTin Bider is an eroded impact structure about 6 km across in the Sahara of central Algeria, on the Tinrhert plateau. What can be seen.
TookoonookaTookoonooka is a large buried impact structure about 55 to 66 km across in south-western Queensland, Australia.
TsenkherTsenkher is a young impact crater about 3.7 km across in the steppe of central Mongolia.
TswaingTswaing Crater lies about 40 km north-west of Pretoria in South Africa. It is one of the best-preserved young impact craters on Earth and on
Tunguska (airburst, no crater)On the morning of 30 June 1908 an enormous explosion shook the forests near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in central Siberia.
TunnunikTunnunik, formerly called the Prince Albert structure, is an eroded impact structure about 25 km across on the Prince Albert Peninsula of Vi
TvärenTvären is a round bay about 2 km across in the archipelago off the coast of Södermanland, south of Stockholm, Sweden.
Upheaval DomeUpheaval Dome, in Canyonlands National Park in Utah, is one of the most spectacular and debated structures in the American West.
Vargeão DomeVargeão Dome is an impact structure about 12 km across in the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil.
VeeversVeevers is a small, beautifully preserved meteorite crater about 70 to 80 m across in the Gibson Desert of Western Australia.
VepriaiVepriai is a buried impact structure about 8 km across in central Lithuania, near the village of Vepriai in Ukmergė district. Discovery.
ViewfieldViewfield is a small buried impact crater about 2.5 km across in south-eastern Saskatchewan, in Canada. It has been an oil field since the l
Vista AlegreVista Alegre is an impact structure about 9.5 km across in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil.
VredefortVredefort is the largest confirmed impact structure on Earth, and one of the oldest.
WabarWabar lies deep in the Rub' al Khali, the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia, the largest sand desert on Earth.
WanapiteiWanapitei is an impact crater about 7.5 km across that lies under the waters of Lake Wanapitei, just north-east of the city of Sudbury in On
Wells CreekWells Creek is an eroded impact structure about 12 km across in Houston and Stewart counties, northern Tennessee, in the United States.
West HawkWest Hawk Lake, in Whiteshell Provincial Park in eastern Manitoba, Canada, fills a simple impact crater about 2.4 km across.
WetumpkaWetumpka is an impact crater about 7.6 km across in central Alabama, in the United States.
WhitecourtThe Whitecourt crater, in the forests of west-central Alberta, is one of the smallest and youngest meteorite craters known in Canada.
Wolfe CreekWolfe Creek Crater, on the edge of the Tanami Desert in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, is one of the best-preserved meteorite cr
WoodleighWoodleigh is a large buried impact structure in Western Australia, beneath Woodleigh station east of Shark Bay.
XiuyanXiuyan is a simple bowl-shaped impact crater about 1.8 km across in Liaoning Province, north-eastern China.
YallalieYallalie is a buried impact structure about 12 km across near the town of Dandaragan, about 200 km north of Perth, Western Australia. Discov
YarrabubbaYarrabubba, in the Murchison region of Western Australia, holds the record as the oldest known impact structure on Earth.
YilanYilan is an impact crater about 1.85 km across in Yilan County, Heilongjiang Province, north-eastern China.
ZapadnayaZapadnaya is a small impact crater about 3.2 km across in Zhytomyr Oblast, central Ukraine. Its name means 'western'. What it hit.
Zeleny GaiZeleny Gai is a small impact crater about 3.5 km across in Kirovohrad Oblast, central Ukraine. Its name means 'green grove'.
ZhamanshinZhamanshin, in the steppe of north-western Kazakhstan, is one of the youngest large impact craters on Earth.

Impact events (24)

AcramanA crater found because its ejecta turned up 300 km away. Acraman is one of the few large impacts whose ejecta layer was discovered before an
The Australasian tektite impactGlass scattered over a tenth of the globe, from a crater no one has found for certain.
The S2 impact, BarbertonA rock far bigger than the dinosaur-killer, which may have briefly fed early life.
Carancas, 2007A stony meteorite that, against expectations, blasted out a crater. On a September morning in 2007, villagers near Lake Titicaca, at about 3
Chesapeake BayA hidden crater that still affects the water people drink. In the late Eocene, an impactor struck the shallow sea off what is now the east c
Chicxulub: the end of the dinosaursThe impact that ended the age of the dinosaurs. Sixty-six million years ago an asteroid about 10 km wide struck a shallow sea at the edge of
HenburyA dozen craters from one shattered iron, remembered in local tradition. In the red country of central Australia lies a group of about a doze
KaaliEurope's best known meteorite crater, struck while people lived nearby. On the Estonian island of Saaremaa a round lake about 110 m acro
KamilA perfect small crater found in satellite images. Kamil is a sharp bowl 45 m across and about 16 m deep in the remote south-west of Egypt.
The Late Heavy BombardmentWas there a sudden storm of giant impacts 3.9 billion years ago, or a slow fading of them? In the 1970s, scientists dating rocks melted by i
LonarA crater lake in volcanic rock, sacred and ancient. Lonar is a nearly circular crater about 1.8 km across, holding a salty, alkaline lake.
ManicouaganA ring-shaped lake visible from space. Manicouagan in Quebec is one of the best preserved large impact structures on Earth.
Meteor Crater (Barringer Crater)The first crater on Earth shown to have been made by an impact. Meteor Crater is a bowl about 1.2 km across and 170 m deep in the desert of
The Ordovician meteorite rainWhen an asteroid broke apart and Earth was showered with meteorites for millions of years.
PopigaiThe impact that turned graphite into a field of diamonds. Popigai in northern Siberia is one of the largest impact craters on Earth, about 9
The Ries and Steinheim impactsThe crater that proved impacts shape the Earth, and the source of moldavite. The Nördlinger Ries is a round, flat basin about 24 km across i
Sikhote-Alin, 1947The largest iron meteorite fall ever witnessed. On a clear winter morning in 1947, people in the Russian Far East saw a fireball brighter th
Sterlitamak, 1990An iron meteorite that dug a crater in a farm field. Late one May night in 1990, a fireball lit up the sky over Bashkortostan in the souther
SudburyA giant impact that left one of the world's richest metal deposits. The Sudbury Basin in Ontario is the deformed remains of an impact cr
Tunguska, 1908The largest impact event in recorded history, and it left no crater. On the morning of 30 June 1908 people across central Siberia saw a bril
VredefortThe largest impact structure known on Earth. Vredefort is the biggest impact scar on our planet.
WabarCraters of black glass in the Empty Quarter. In 1932 the British explorer Harry St John Philby set out across the great sand desert of Arabi
Wolfe CreekOne of the best preserved meteorite craters in the world. Wolfe Creek Crater is a crisp bowl about 880 m across in the dry country of north-
The Younger Dryas impact hypothesisDid a comet trigger a sudden cold snap at the end of the last ice age? A fair look at a fierce debate.

Asteroids (2)

GaspraGaspra was the first asteroid ever seen close up. On 29 October 1991 NASA's Galileo spacecraft, travelling to Jupiter, passed within abo
MathildeMathilde is one of the darkest objects ever photographed by a spacecraft. It reflects only about 4 per cent of the sunlight that falls on it

Micrometeorites (1)

How much space dust falls on Earth each year?Thousands of tonnes of micrometeorites reach the ground every year. The exact figure is surprisingly hard to pin down, and different methods

History (2)

Campo del Cielo: the field of the skyA crater field and some of the heaviest meteorites ever found. Around 4,000 to 4,500 years ago, a large iron meteoroid broke apart over what
Canyon Diablo and Meteor CraterThe first crater on Earth proved to have been made by a meteorite. About 50,000 years ago, an iron meteoroid perhaps 50 m across hit the pla

Myths and folklore (6)

The field of the skyA crater field in Argentina whose name, in Spanish and in Moqoit, points to the sky.
The fire-devil of HenburyA crater field where people would not drink the water. The Arrernte name for the Henbury crater field is Tatyeye Kepmwere.
Kaali, the sacred lakeA crater lake on Saaremaa that may have been a holy place for thousands of years. The round crater lake of Kaali, on the Estonian island of
Tnorala, Gosses BluffA baby's carrier that fell from the Milky Way and made a ring of hills. West of Alice Springs, a ring of red cliffs about 5 km across ri
Wabar and the lost city of UbarA legendary city destroyed by fire from heaven, and the craters an explorer found while looking for it.
Kandimalal, Wolfe CreekRainbow Serpents, a falling star and a crater in the desert. The Jaru people call Wolfe Creek Crater Kandimalal.

People (16)

Alan HildebrandThe Canadian scientist who, in 1991, identified the buried Chicxulub crater in Mexico as the impact that ended the age of the dinosaurs.
Albert FooteThe Philadelphia mineral dealer who in 1891 first described the iron meteorites around Meteor Crater and the diamonds inside them. Albert E.
Alfred WegenerThe scientist best known for continental drift, who also argued in 1921 that the Moon's craters were made by impacts.
Daniel Moreau BarringerThe mining engineer who spent 26 years and a fortune trying to prove, correctly, that Meteor Crater was made by a falling meteorite.
Edward ChaoThe mineralogist who found coesite at Meteor Crater in 1960, the first proof that a crater on Earth was made by an impact.
Eugene ShoemakerThe founder of planetary geology, who proved Meteor Crater was an impact and co-discovered the comet that hit Jupiter.
Forest Ray MoultonThe astronomer whose calculation in 1929 showed that the meteorite that made Meteor Crater must have been largely vaporised.
Glen PenfieldThe oil company geophysicist who found a giant buried ring under Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula in 1978, later shown to be the Chicxulub cra
Grove Karl GilbertThe great American geologist who argued that the Moon's craters were made by impacts, yet concluded that Meteor Crater was not.
Harry St John PhilbyThe explorer who crossed Arabia's Empty Quarter in 1932 and found the Wabar craters and their iron meteorites.
Harvey NiningerThe schoolteacher who became the greatest meteorite hunter of the twentieth century, finding hundreds of new meteorites across the American
Leonid KulikThe Soviet mineralogist who led the first expeditions to the site of the 1908 Tunguska explosion.
Luis AlvarezThe Nobel prize-winning physicist who, with his son Walter, proposed in 1980 that an asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs.
Ralph BaldwinThe astronomer who made the case in 1949, in The Face of the Moon, that the Moon's craters were blasted out by impacts.
Robert DietzThe geologist who showed that shatter cones are fingerprints of impacts, and who argued that Sudbury in Canada is a giant impact structure.
William CassidyThe geologist who founded ANSMET, the American programme that has brought more than 20,000 meteorites in from the Antarctic ice.

Museums and collections (10)

Henbury Meteorites Conservation ReserveA cluster of a dozen small craters made when an iron meteorite broke up over central Australia about 4,000 years ago.
Kaali Meteorite CentreA visitor centre beside a ring of craters made by an iron meteorite that fell on an Estonian island a few thousand years ago.
Meteor Crater Visitor CenterA museum on the rim of Meteor Crater, with the Holsinger meteorite, the largest piece of Canyon Diablo ever found.
Morasko Meteorite Nature ReserveA forest reserve of small craters on the edge of Poznań, where iron masses of up to 261 kilograms have been dug up.
Ries Crater Museum, NördlingenA museum inside a 15-million-year-old impact crater, built from the shocked rock the impact made.
Steinheim Meteor Crater MuseumA small museum in a 3.8-kilometre crater with a central hill, the Ries crater's smaller neighbour.
Tswaing CraterA young impact crater just outside Pretoria, with a salt lake on its floor and a visitor centre on its rim.
University of Alberta Meteorite CollectionCanada's largest university meteorite collection, keeper of pristine frozen pieces of Tagish Lake.
Vredefort DomeThe deeply eroded remains of the largest known impact structure on Earth, a World Heritage Site.
Wolfe Creek CraterOne of the best-preserved meteorite craters on Earth, a ring nearly 900 metres across in the desert.

Strewn fields (2)

The Brenham strewn fieldA prehistoric pallasite shower on Kansas farmland, with one of the smallest impact craters known. Masses are scattered over the farmland aro
The Campo del Cielo strewn fieldA crater field on the Gran Chaco plains that has given up more than 100 tonnes of iron, including two of the heaviest meteorites known.

#Impact craters

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Courses (12)

Books (1)

Famous meteorites (8)

Meteorite types (1)

Space missions (8)

Meteorite minerals (5)

Glossary (38)

Questions and answers (38)

Impact craters (197)

Impact events (24)

Asteroids (2)

Micrometeorites (1)

History (2)

Myths and folklore (6)

People (16)

Museums and collections (10)

Strewn fields (2)