Canyon Diablo Meteorites

Posted on 13 June 2021
Posted in arizona, canyon diablo, meteorites
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302 gram Canyon Diablo specimen

About 50,000 years ago, a meteorite exploded in the Arizona desert, creating a crater nearly 4,000 feet in diameter. The meteorite itself was only about 100 feet across, but it weighed 60,000 tons and was travelling almost 45,000 miles per hour when it struck. The crater it formed is popularly known as Meteor Crater, and has a fascinating history.

While meteorites and meteorite fragments have been found in Meteor Crater, a large number have also been found just a few miles to the west in Canyon Diablo. Many are beautifully-formed meteorites full of regmaglypts.

Regmaglypts are small depressions that are characteristic of many iron meteorites, and are frequently compared to thumbprints in clay. They are thought to be produced during a meteorite's blazing flight through the earth's atmosphere, when minerals with a lower melting point vaporize off the surface of the meteorite, leaving small (or sometimes rather large) cavities in their wake.

Canyon Diablo meteorites are no longer generally available due to their increasing rarity; those currently being offered for sale are typically from private collections or stock purchased years ago.

Visit the pages below to learn more about Meteor Crater:

Barringer Crater History
Meteor Crater Official Web Site

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