The huge, bowl-shaped Meteor Crater in Arizona that was formed some 50,000 years ago continues to yield new information, and surprisingly so.
In addition, it is a go-to spot for preparing Artemis crews how to explore the moon as that place once did to train Apollo astronauts for lunar duties in the 1960s.
Research payoffs from the out-of-this-world Meteor Crater are ongoing, said David Kring, principal scientist at the Universities Space Research Association's Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. He has carried out field training and research at the Winslow, Arizona site for a decade.
Related: This long-lost asteroid impact was so big its debris left more than 30 craters
"We usually have two to three projects going on at the crater each year," Kring told Space.com, be they studies focused on the deformation of the crater wall or appraising the apron of tossed out debris that surrounds the impact crater. "Every year that we go back, we're mapping some new feature at the crater and filling in some of the details that just simply do not exist anywhere else on Earth," he said.
"The ejecta blanket is nearly 10 times larger in area than the crater," Kring said. The asteroid that formed the feature was an iron meteorite, Type IAB, he added, believed to be a fragment of an impact crater on an asteroid that then came to Earth and fashioned another impact crater.
What's the true age of the crater itself? "Actually, the uncertainty is growing," Kring said. Earlier, three independent methods produced the same number, pegging it at 50,000 years old.
"But in recent years we have realized that the calibration on two of those methods had more uncertainty attached to them than was appreciated," Kring said. "There's a possibility that the crater may be a few thousand years older than we often times stated. It's still during the last glacial epic. It is when mammoths and mastodons were grazing in that area."
Kring and colleagues have recovered pollen from the lake sediments that filled Meteor Crater and have been able to reconstruct what the vegetation was like at the time of impact.
Similarly, the bearing of the impactor is still unclear. "I can make the case for nearly any direction, although I think most of the evidence is pointing north to south. The angle is probably on the order of 45 degrees, plus or minus a little bit, to produce a nearly circular or symmetrically-shaped crater. And that's what we have," Kring said.
Over the years, Kring has trained active and candidate astronauts at Meteor Crater. Doing so continues a teaching and learning legacy that had the late astrogeologist Eugene "Gene" Shoemaker of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other geologists educating Apollo-era astronauts how to "read" the lunar landscape. "We do their basic training at the crater. I've proposed that we need to have more advanced training at Meteor Crater and other impact sites if we're going to conduct Artemis expeditions successfully," he said.
The first reason for training at impact sites like Meteor Crater is to expose astronauts to the type of terrain that they are going to operate within, and operate there safely, Kring said.
"I'd stipulate that the single best tool that we can deploy on the lunar surface is a well-trained astronaut," Kring advised. "We would like them to be as productive as possible in addressing the science and exploration objectives. Understanding impact cratering, the processes that go into producing them, the way they redistribute material across the lunar surface ... training is essential. I've also pointed out that the world's best spectrometers are the eyes of well-trained astronauts."
Kring said that as stunning as Meteor Crater is in the first place, he advises future moonwalkers to stand on its rim and gape, but then tells everybody to turn around and imagine another crater just to the left, and a third crater just to the right.
"That is the type of terrain that we are asking them to explore and understand how to be productive on the lunar surface," Kring concluded.
"There's still a lot of research to be done out there," says Meteor Crater detective, Dan Durda, a senior research scientist at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
"Meteor Crater is an excellent analog for our moon exploration," Durda said. "It is still the freshest, best persevered crater on the planet." He harkens back to Gene Shoemaker's work at Meteor Crater to appreciate the process of impact cratering, excavation and ejecta deposits.
"Those markers are so evidently available and readily visible. It's the perfect training ground to show those processes to the field astronauts, so they understand what it is that they are doing on the moon" said Durda.
But there is another key message blasting out of Meteor Crater. "It's bringing the whole near-Earth impact hazard to the fore," Durda said. "We had to get over the giggle factor years ago. Meteor Crater has helped illustrate what kind of devastation can be wrought from even a very moderate-sized impactor."
Durda has been to Meteor Crater too many times to count. But his maiden trek to the site was in 1991, then a graduate student in Florida and on his first trip out west.
"My first experience of the crater," Durda said, "was first looking at it on television as a youngster. In watching shows like those made by National Geographic, I was fascinated by this 'geologist guy' who kept talking about this crater. He had a rifle and showing how you shoot a bullet into sand and that's how the crater was formed. That person was Gene Shoemaker. Gene was the manand my first experience being at the crater was with Gene!"
With Shoemaker at his side, Durda said that you could not possibly be around him and not come away enthused about geology. "He had an absolutely infectious enthusiasm for what he was doing."
To Durda's eye and mind on that first visit: "Holy cow. This is a deep, massive hole in the ground. It's amazing." Shoemaker and Durda walked down together on the "Astronaut Trail," making field stops along the way to chat about aspects of the impact stratigraphy and then down to the bottom of the crater.
"The real view, the real impression, the real awe and majesty is up on the rim, looking out and across and down," added Durda.
Once again, Meteor Crater offers yet another bonus from outer space. Durda is an active member of the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA). "Meteor Crater is not just a science analog. It's not just an exploration analog. It's a visual analog for telling the story of other places in the solar system that artists use," he said.
Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or on Facebook (opens in new tab).
Original post:
Meteor crater: The hole from space that keeps on giving - Space.com
- A Q&A with Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman to travel to space - Astronomy Magazine - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Japans planning its first lunar steps with the Artemis program - The Hill - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- DC Eyes Beijing's Investments In Space - Payload - Payload - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- THIS WEEK @NASA: More Partners in Space Exploration, Upgrade to Testing Facilities for Artemis II - SpaceCoastDaily.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Explore Space and Poetry with NASA and Poet Laureate Ada Limn - sxsw.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- NASA warns of secret military presence in space disguised as civilian programs - TweakTown - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- NEW: UAH wins first place in college division in NASA's 30th Human Exploration Rover Challenge - Hville Blast - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Are we prepared for Chinese preeminence on the moon and Mars? (op-ed) - Space.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- As space exploration increases, effective space regulation is a necessity - Verdict - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- NASA Announces Winners of Power to Explore Challenge - NASA - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- NASA tests walking robot on Mount Hood for space exploration with universities - KTVL - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Five future astronauts certified from European Space Agency's 2022 graduating class - UPI News - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Sweden becomes 38th country to sign NASA's Artemis Accords for moon exploration - Space.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Space start-up claims to have discovered propellant-free propulsion system - NewsBytes - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz Spacecraft Launches to Space Station With NASA Astronaut - SciTechDaily - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- This Week In Space podcast: Episode 103 Starship's Orbital Feat - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- From 3D To Outer Space: Register For WCC Youth Summer Camps - mitechnews.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- NASA and SpaceX: Enhancing Space Exploration with the 30th Resupply Mission - Space Daily - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- The Cosmic Enigma: How Space Exploration is Unraveling the Universe's Birth Secrets - yTech - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Following Safe Return, NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 to Recount Space Mission - NASA - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- The Heat: Space Exploration - CGTN America - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX Time-Lapse Video Captures the Essence of Space Travel - yTech - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- TOP 4 Reasons to Return to the Moon - The Universe. Space. Tech - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX Dragon Successfully Attaches to ISS Bringing Vital Research Payloads - yTech - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- End of an Era: Delta IV Heavy Makes Final Journey to the Stars - yTech - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Photography exhibition at the Mound delves into space exploration - The National - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Lunar Node 1: the trailblazing lunar beacon guiding NASA's future in space exploration - Boing Boing - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX's CRS-30 Mission: Delivering Innovations and Research to the ISS - yTech - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Remembering Tom Stafford, the Space Races Peacemaker (1930-2024) - AmericaSpace - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- 9 Hints That Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Involves Space Travel - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- NASA sends science projects and hardware aboard SpaceX's 30th resupply launch to ISS SatNews - SatNews - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft Docks to Space Station With New Science and Supplies - SciTechDaily - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Moon Race 2.0: Why so many nations and private companies are aiming for lunar landings - BBC.com - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- NASA Selects Texas A&M As First Approved Exploration Park Facility - Texas A&M University Today - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- The Space Economy in 2024 - OODA Loop - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Opinion | It's an exciting time in space exploration. But U.S. leadership is at risk. - The Washington Post - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- NASA Experiment With Fire in Space Ends When Entire Spacecraft Burns Up - Futurism - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- NASA Selects Texas A&M as First Approved Exploration Park Facility - NASA - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Ground-Based Lasers Could Accelerate Spacecraft to Other Stars - Universe Today - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- 8 Space Exploration Books to Add to Your TBR - Book Riot - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Meet the Elected Members of the African Space Council - Space in Africa - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- NASA working with Texas A&M to build new spaceflight research facilities - 25 News KXXV and KRHD - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Inflatable Habitats: Expanding Space Exploration - Lockheed Martin - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- China's Rising Ambitions in Space Exploration: Chang'e Missions and International Cooperation - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Pressured Space Exploration in Today's Era - Mirage News - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Exoplanet Hunter Sets Its Sights on Jupiter: A New Twist in Space Exploration - SciTechDaily - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Frontier Aerospace TALOS Engines Used For Space Exploration - PR Newswire - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Exploring the Potential of Minimoons - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Understanding the Role of TRISH in Space Health and its Future Innovations - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- The Future of Satellite Refueling and In-Orbit Servicing - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Japan makes third attempt to launch next-gen rocket - Yahoo Singapore News - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Uruguay becomes latest nation to join NASA's Artemis Accords - UPI News - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- An astronomer's lament: Satellite megaconstellations are ruining space exploration - The Conversation - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Asteroid Mining: A Glimpse into the Future - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Singapore's ESS and Australia's ELA Join Forces to Redefine Space Exploration - BNN Breaking - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Intuitive Machines makes history with lunar lander launch - InnovationMap - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- The Potential of Minimoons in Interplanetary Exploration and Space Travel - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- In space exploration, Switzerland punches above its weight - SWI swissinfo.ch - SWI swissinfo.ch in English - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Odysseus Mission: Pioneering the Lunar Economy and Space Exploration - BNN Breaking - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Starlab Announces Leadership Team With new CEO and CFO - SpaceWatch.Global - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- The New Space Race: Private American Companies Compete to Land on the Moon - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Spectrum Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Plays Vital Role in NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications - PR Newswire - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Intuitive Machines Odyssey lunar lander to be launched early Wednesday - The Washington Post - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- New funding for space projects ensures the UK's role in global missions - Innovation News Network - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- SpaceX and Intuitive Machines Lunar Mission: Challenges, Expectations, and Future - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Farewell to a NASA Hero: Apollo Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II Departs at 87 - SciTechDaily - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- NASA Welcomes Netherlands as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory - NASA - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- China's astronauts tend orbital garden to aid deep space exploration - Space.com - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- All-UK astronaut mission shows that private enterprise is vital to the ... - The Conversation Indonesia - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Former Astronaut Discusses Space Travel and Its Future With ... - Duke Today - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Returning astronauts to the moon is NASA's biggest challenge, but ... - Space.com - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Australias IPSEC Conference Shows Synergies Between the Space ... - Via Satellite - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Mice embryos successfully grown in space, a promising milestone ... - Salon - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Dava Newman talks Mars exploration and comunication - CMU The Tartan Online - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Science Fact or Fiction: Leveraging Space to Transform Medicine - Kennedy Space Center - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Now astronauts will not get lost in space - SAMAA - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Sci-fi inspired tractor beams are real, and could solve a major space ... - Livescience.com - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Mining Meets Space: Revolutionizing Industry Innovation with Cross ... - AZoMining - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Surf's up: Catch an atmospheric wave as ASU research team ... - ASU News Now - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Ron Baron says Tesla's valuation can hit $4 trillion, but 'SpaceX has ... - Morningstar - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]