Roden Crater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roden Crater |
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Satellite view of Roden Crater, site of an earthwork in progress by James Turrell outside Flagstaff, Arizona.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,443 ft (1,659 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 470 ft (143 m) |
| Geography | |
 Roden Crater
Location in the United States
Roden Crater
Location in Arizona
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| Location | Coconino County, Arizona, U.S. |
| Topo map | USGS Roden Crater |
| Geology | |
| Volcanic field | San Francisco volcanic field |
Roden Crater is a unique place in northern Arizona, USA. It's actually an old volcano that's no longer active. It has a special bowl-shaped area inside called a volcanic crater. You can find it about 50 miles northeast of the city of Flagstaff.
An Amazing Art Project
A famous artist named James Turrell bought the land around Roden Crater. This crater is super old, about 400,000 years old! Turrell is turning the inside of the crater into a giant place to watch the sky. It's like a huge outdoor observatory designed to see sunlight, stars, and other cool things in the sky without a telescope. He wants to highlight special events like the shortest and longest days of the year, called solstices.
In 2019, Arizona State University started working with James Turrell on this project. They received a lot of money to help. This project, called the "ASU-Roden Crater Project," brings together art and science. Some classes at the university are already learning about Roden Crater, including one about "Indigenous Stories and Sky Science."
When Can You Visit Roden Crater?
The Dia Art Foundation is helping to support James Turrell's Roden Crater project. The artist bought the crater in 1979. He had hoped to open it to the public earlier, but now he plans for it to open around 2024.
Images for kids
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Satellite view of Roden Crater, site of an earthwork in progress by James Turrell outside Flagstaff, Arizona.
See also
- Land Arts of the American West
- Environmental art
- Environmental sculpture
- Site-specific art
- List of cinder cones
