Tookoonooka crater facts for kids
 Location in Queensland
|
|
| Impact crater/structure | |
|---|---|
| Confidence | Confirmed |
| Diameter | 55–66 km (34–41 mi) |
| Age | 128 ± 5 Ma Early Cretaceous |
| Exposed | No |
| Drilled | Yes |
| Location | |
| Location | Eromanga Basin |
| Coordinates | 27°7′S 142°50′E / 27.117°S 142.833°E |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Queensland |
| District | South West |
Tookoonooka is a huge crater in Queensland, Australia. It was made when a large space rock, called a meteorite, crashed into Earth a long, long time ago. This crater is completely hidden deep underground, buried under many layers of rock. You can't see it from the surface!
Discovering the Hidden Crater
Scientists found the Tookoonooka crater using special tools. They used something called seismic data. This is like sending sound waves deep into the ground to create a map of what's hidden below. They were actually looking for oil when they found it!
The discovery was first shared in 1989. To prove it was really a meteorite impact, scientists looked at rock samples. They found something called shocked quartz. This is a type of rock that only forms when there's a super powerful impact, like a meteorite hitting the Earth.
How Big is Tookoonooka?
The Tookoonooka crater is very large. Scientists think it is between 55 and 66 kilometers (about 34 to 41 miles) wide. Imagine a circle that big!
The meteorite hit Earth a very long time ago, during the Cretaceous Period. This was about 128 million years ago. For comparison, the dinosaurs were still around at that time!
Tookoonooka and Talundilly
Close to Tookoonooka, there's another similar structure called Talundilly. It looks like it might be another impact crater from the same time.
It's possible that Tookoonooka and Talundilly are "paired" impact craters. This means they might have been formed by two space rocks that hit Earth around the same time. However, scientists need to drill into Talundilly to be sure it's also an impact crater.
