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A Crater in Arizona


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The scene of a river flowing zigzag, blurred clouds, shadows like split ink is a desert region close to Flagstaff, Arizona in the North American Continent and this depression in the center is the well-known Balinger meteorite crater.

The shape is circular but appears to be slightly rectangular-like is 1.2km in diameter, 170m in depth and 50m higher than the surrounding land. It is believed that a meteoritic bombardment occured about 50,000 years ago. Judging from the size of the hole, it is presumed that the space debris was 80m in diameter and 2,000t in weight and hit this area at a speed of 20km per second. There has not been any big changes in the original status as this area has little which would drastically change the geological structures. It is said that various geological statuses can be seen here, and the area has become a tourist spot with an observatory and a museum.

It is possible to command its overview standing on the edge. Presumption is it that there should be many other holes of this kind, however, they are unknown as they have not been observed from the height of a satellite orbit. There is no doubt that no one can ignore the possibility that there might be some day a collision between a comet or something and the earth, just as we have recently observed the Shoemaker-Levy Comet collision on Jupiter with our own eyes.


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