[meteorite-list] Visiting Meteor Crater

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Dec 12 14:28:51 2005
Message-ID: <200512121927.jBCJRHD15433_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/106130

Northern Arizona crater a hole lot to see
www.azstarnet.com
December 12, 2005

Northern Arizona's Meteor Crater, also known as the Barringer Meteorite
Crater, is more than a big hole in the ground - it's a 4,100-foot-wide
hole in the ground that was created by a meteor crashing into Earth
almost 50,000 years ago.

Scientists at the University of Arizona recently announced that the
meteor was traveling at 26,800 miles per hour when it smashed into the
Earth, significantly slower than the original estimation of 44,000 mph.

The Meteor Crater Visitor Center shows a 10-minute movie called
"Collisions and Impacts" twice each hour, and the Interactive Learning
Center includes exhibits such as an Apollo space test capsule, an
Astronaut Hall of Fame, meteorite fragments and Create-a-Crater, where
you can digitally design your own crater by plugging in the elements,
density, angle of descent and velocity of a meteorite.

You can also take a rim tour that will take you on a half-mile walk
around the edge of the 570-foot-deep crater. The walking tours take
about 45 minutes and begin at 9:15 a.m., weather permitting. Tours start
hourly, with the last tour leaving at 2:15 p.m.

Drive: From Tucson, take Interstates 10 and 17 to Flagstaff. Take
Interstate 40 east about 35 miles to Exit 233.

When: The Meteor Crater Visitor Center is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. It's
closed on Christmas Day.

Cost: Admission to the visitor center, which includes the rim tour, is
$12 for adults; $11 for seniors 60 and older; $6 for ages 6-17; free for
kids 5 and younger. Beginning Jan. 1, the price will change to $15 for
adults and $13 for seniors.

Et cetera: The weather in Northern Arizona is definitely on the chilly
side, so don't forget to bundle up. Expect high temperatures in the 40s
and lows in the teens.
Received on Mon 12 Dec 2005 02:27:16 PM PST