From Dailymail · · 1m 20s
NASA spots ancient Australian crater with 'legs'
NASA satellite reveals 3 billion-year-old impact crater in Australia with spider-like features.
In brief
NASA satellite reveals 3 billion-year-old impact crater in Australia with spider-like features. NASA discovered a 3.02 billion-year-old meteorite impact crater in Western Australia with spider-like formations, providing evidence of early Earth's geological activity. Originally reported by Dailymail.
NASA satellite image
NASA's Landsat 9 captured an impact structure with legs in Western Australia's Kimberley region.
Spider Crater description
The oval-shaped crater measures eight by seven miles with a spiderlike central portion 2.5 miles across.
Age of impact
Scientists estimate the collision formed between 600 million and 900 million years ago.
Discovery history
The crater baffled scientists for years after its 1950s discovery until 1970s evidence emerged.
Geological evidence
Geologists found shatter cones and fractured rock layers indicating meteorite impact.
Zircon evidence
Zircon crystals show impact occurred 3.02 billion years ago with skeletal shapes.
Impact significance
The impact may have influenced early Earth's chemical exchange and microbial environments.
Oldest crater
North Pole Dome is Earth's oldest confirmed impact crater at 3.02 billion years.
Impact size
The meteorite was likely a kilometre-scale object with unknown precise size.
What happens next
Scientists continue studying the crater to understand early Earth's geological history.
The takeaway
NASA discovered a 3.02 billion-year-old meteorite impact crater in Western Australia with spider-like formations, providing evidence of early Earth's geological activity.
