Odessa Meteor Crater facts for kids
Meteor crater and museum
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| Impact crater/structure | |
|---|---|
| Confidence | Confirmed |
| Diameter | 550 ft (168 m) |
| Depth | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Age | 63,500 years |
| Exposed | Yes |
| Drilled | Yes |
| Bolide type | Octahedrite (IAB) |
| Location | |
| Location | Ector County, West Texas |
| Coordinates | 31°45′22″N 102°28′44″W / 31.7560°N 102.4788°W |
| Country | United States |
 Odessa Meteor Crater
Location in Texas
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The Odessa Meteor Crater is a special place in West Texas, United States. It's a big hole in the ground made when a meteorite crashed into Earth many thousands of years ago. You can find it southwest of the city of Odessa, in Ector County. It's one of only three known places in Texas where a meteor has left its mark!
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What is the Odessa Meteor Crater?
The Odessa Meteor Crater is not just one big hole, but actually a main crater with several smaller ones nearby. These were all formed by thousands of pieces of a special type of iron meteorite called an octahedrite. Imagine a giant space rock breaking into many pieces as it rushed towards Earth!
The main crater is about 550 ft (168 m) wide, which is longer than a football field! When it first formed, it was about 100 ft (30 m) deep. Over thousands of years, soil and other things have filled it in, so now it's about 15 ft (5 m) deep at its lowest point. Even though it's not as deep as it used to be, you can still clearly see it rising above the flat land around it.
How Was the Crater Formed?
Scientists believe the Odessa Meteor Crater was formed around 63,500 years ago. This was during a time called the Pleistocene epoch, which is often called the "Ice Age." A huge space rock, or bolide, made of iron, hit the Earth with incredible force. It broke into many pieces, creating the main crater and several smaller ones.
Even though a giant meteorite caused the crater, scientists have found that there isn't a large piece of the meteorite buried deep underground. This is because the impact was so powerful that most of the meteorite either vaporized (turned into gas) or shattered into many smaller pieces.
Exploring the Crater Site
Over the years, more than 1,500 meteorite pieces have been found around the Odessa crater. The biggest piece ever found weighed about 300 lb (136 kg)! Most of these pieces were found to the north and northwest of the main crater.
The Odessa Meteor Crater is so important that it has been named a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. This means it's a special place that helps us understand Earth's natural history.
Visiting the Crater
Today, you can visit the Odessa Meteor Crater! There's a small information area and a nature trail that you can follow to learn more about the crater and how it was formed. It's a great way to see a piece of space history right here on Earth.
You can find the crater about 3 mi (5 km) south of Interstate 20 at Exit 108 (Moss Road).
