As the world celebrates Asteroid Day and scientists across the world continue to prepare the planet to defend against the next big asteroid impact, Europe's Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission has captured a striking image that shows what happened when a meteor crashed on Earth 50,000 years ago.
The satellite captured a meteor crater, also known as the Barringer Meteorite Crater, in Arizona.
advertisementApproximately 50,000 years ago, an iron-nickel meteorite estimated to be 30-50 meters wide collided with North America, creating a massive bowl-shaped crater over 1,200 meters across and 180 meters deep.
The Barringer Meteorite Crater as seen from space.
The Sentinel-2 image provides a wide perspective of the crater within its surrounding landscape, offering scientists and researchers a comprehensive view of this ancient impact site.
As the world celebrates Asteroid Day and scientists across the world continue to prepare the planet to defend against the next big asteroid impact, Europe's Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission has captured a striking image that shows what happened when a meteor crashed on Earth 50,000 years ago.
The satellite captured a meteor crater, also known as the Barringer Meteorite Crater, in Arizona. This remarkable geological feature serves as a reminder of the powerful impacts that have shaped our planet's surface.
advertisement
Approximately 50,000 years ago, an iron-nickel meteorite estimated to be 30-50 meters wide collided with North America, creating a massive bowl-shaped crater over 1,200 meters across and 180 meters deep. The Barringer Meteorite Crater as seen from space. (Photo: ESA)
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
As the meteor came down hurtling on the planet, the impact ejected millions of tons of limestone and sandstone, scattering debris for over a kilometre in all directions.
According to the European Space Agency, one of the crater's most distinctive features is its squared-off shape, believed to be the result of rock flaws that caused the impact site to peel back in four directions.
This unique formation has been remarkably well-preserved due to the arid desert climate, making it an invaluable site for studying impact cratering processes.
The Sentinel-2 image provides a wide perspective of the crater within its surrounding landscape, offering scientists and researchers a comprehensive view of this ancient impact site. The crater's preservation allows for ongoing studies into the geological processes that shape not only Earth but other planetary bodies in our solar system. The violent impact created a bowl-shaped hole of over 1200 m across. (Photo: ESA)
As part of ongoing efforts to understand and mitigate potential asteroid threats, the European Space Agency (ESA) has been tracking and analysing near-Earth objects for the past two decades.
The agency is set to launch its Flyeye telescopes, which will employ a unique compound eye design to enhance the detection of potentially hazardous asteroids.
Additionally, ESA's Hera spacecraft, scheduled for launch later this year, will conduct close-up explorations of asteroids. This mission aims to improve our understanding of these celestial bodies and contribute to future asteroid deflection strategies.
Published By: Sibu Kumar Tripathi Published On: Jul 1, 2024
