The Center of the Crater

Foto: Γιώργος Πανάγος

Το κέντρο του κρατήρα στην Αριζόνα.

Η ΝΑΣΑ έχει τοποθετήσει στο κέντρο του ένα αντικείμενο 6 ποδιών ύψους για σύνγριση ανθρώπινου μεγέθους μέσα στον κρατήρα

The interior of the crater is first glimpsed from within the visitor center, which has several observation areas equipped with telescopes to study the distant rock walls in more detail. Outside, other viewing areas are connected by short walkways and steps though there is only one trail, 1/3 mile around the rim, and all hiking must be done as part of a guided tour. A path runs all around the edge but this is now disused, because solo, unaccompanied hiking was stopped several years ago; now rim walking is only possible as part of a guided group, along a short path to a second viewpoint a few hundred yards west of the visitor center. The meteor crater seemed smaller than I was expecting, not much larger than other less well known craters like Death Valley's Ubehebe Crater. It has similar distorted strata around the sides, and the colors of the rocks are rather faded and muted; generally reddish-brown, though lighter brown around the top of the rim, which is strewn with large limestone boulders thrown up by the impact. Overall, the scene is impressive but not especially remarkable, in fact the views of other directions, across the vast red prairie to distant mountain ranges including the snowy San Francisco Peaks, are almost as good.