1. Impact Craters
Lessons

2. What is a Crater?
Crater – a large, bowl-shaped hole found in solid rocky surfaces.
Impact Crater – these form when meteoroids, asteroids, or comets smash into the surface of a planet or moon.
** Impact Info:
Did you know that asteroids can also have craters?!
Also, impact craters are the most common geological feature in the solar system!

3. Parts of a Crater:

4. What can we learn from craters??

5. Links to the Past:
Craters tell our planet’s history. The more craters on the surface, the older the surface is.
A crater is undisturbed where there is no atmosphere…no wind and water erosion.
Asteroids and meteoroids (which cause craters) can burn up in the atmosphere too!
CRATER QUESTION:
GASEOUS PLANETS HAVE LITTLE OR NO EVIDENCE OF IMPACT CRATERS, EVEN THOUGH METEOROIDS STRIKE THEM OFTEN. WHY??

6. CRATERS ON EARTH
Earth was HEAVILY cratered during its formation and still receives impacts today!
Craters have been:
Eroded by wind and water
Destroyed by earthquakes and volcanoes
We know of at least 120 impact craters all over the Earth…even in ALABAMA!!

7. The Wetumpka Alabama Crater:
THEN
The Wetumpka Alabama Crater:
NOW

8. March 30, 1954…
Mrs. Hodges was asleep on her sofa when an eight pound meteorite crashed though her roof and hit her, causing abdominal injuries which, fortunately, were not serious. The funny thing about the incident - although she probably did not find it amusing at the time - is that Mrs. Hodges lived opposite the Comet Drive-In Theatre. The photograph ... shows Mrs. Hodges shortly after the malevolent meteorite struck her. It caused extensive bruising which took a number of weeks to disappear.

9. The appearance of an impact depends on many things. What Might They Be??