Arizona's Meteor Crater Was Voted Among The 7 Wonders Of The World For 2020
By Katie Lawrence|Published April 09, 2020
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and began writing for OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Today, Katie writes, edits, and performs several other tasks for OnlyInYourState and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on with a hot cup of coffee, practicing yoga, baking, or exploring the beautiful Lone Star State (in particular, the vast and mystical West Texas desert).
Winslow’s Meteor Crater: we’ve all heard of it, most of us have been there at least once, but not everyone knows its entire backstory. Condé Nast Traveller ranked this incredible historic site among the 7 Wonders of the World for 2020, highlighting both its scientific significance and sheer splendor.
Just a few hours east of the Grand Canyon lies what is widely considered to be the best-preserved meteor crater on Earth.
This incredible piece of natural history is an extremely popular tourist attraction, and it has earned a spot on Condé Nast Traveller's "7 Wonders of the World for 2020" list.
Formerly known as the Canyon Diablo Crater, scientists had the name changed to honor Daniel Barringer, a mining engineer and businessman who was the first person to attribute the anomaly to a meteorite impact.
The crater was designated as a U.S. National Natural Landmark in November of 1967.
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The crater is believed to have been created about 50,000 years ago during the Pleistocene epoch, a time when this now arid desert landscape was covered in lush greenery and inhabited by wooly mammoths and giant sloths.
Comprised of nickel and iron, the meteorite measured about 160 feet across, struck at nearly 30,000 miles per hour, and had an impact energy of 10 megatons.
This fact, combined with the dry Arizona climate, helped preserve the crater's shape enough for it to become the first crater attributed to a celestial body.
During your visit, make sure to stop by the Visitor Center on the north rim.
It features interactive exhibits and displays, an American Astronaut Wall of Fame, artifacts, a movie theater, and a gift shop. There are also observation areas where you can get up-close-and-personal views from within the crater.
It might be hard to imagine the feeling based on pictures alone, but the wind around the crater is fairly strong. Throw your arms out as the wind whips your hair in all directions, having someone take a picture to forever encapsulate this special moment.
