Pristine Impact Crater Located In The Desert Of Egypt Was Discovered By Google Earth Photographs
July 26th, 2010 - 7:42 pm ICT by Pen Men At WorkJuly 26, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): A particularly well preserved impact crater was discovered in a remote desert area of Egypt. The scientists announced their findings on Thursday.
The crater has been named as Kamil and is one of the most pristine craters as compared to others which have been impacted by meteorites. Almost all such craters have been partially eroded while this one has managed to retain all its characteristics. There are also indications of the material that had shot out from its center when the rock from the space hit the ground bang on.
The crater is now being studied by the scientists who hope to learn about the nature of such meteorite impacts on the crust of the earth. The leader of the group Luigi Folco, who is also a meteorite curator at the Museo Nazionale dell’Antartide in Siena in Italy, expressed his surprise at seeing this perfect impact crater. He said that it was extraordinarily neat. The crater was also rayed with light colored material surrounding it like spokes. Such immaculate and rayed craters are usually commonplace on the moon and Mars which are not subjected to too many atmospheric or environmental disturbances.
The crater, Kamil, was first seen via the google earth satellite pictures by the earlier curator of the Civico Museo di Storia Naturale, Milan. The 148 feet wide crater is bowl shaped which tells the scientists that it may have been created by the impact of an iron based meteorite travelling at a speed of 7,920 miles per hour.
A team of geophysicists led by Folco reached the Egyptian desert on February 2010 in order to verify the presence of an impact crater. Folco is also the main author reporting this finding in the science journal dated 23rd July.
The scientists also estimate that the crater was formed just a few thousand years ago which is a fairly recent event in geological terms. 22º 01′ 06″ N 26º 05′ 15″ E. were given out as the co ordinates of the crater, Kamil.
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Tags: colored material, crust of the earth, desert area, earth photographs, earth satellite, egyptian desert, environmental disturbances, folco, geological terms, google, google earth, impact crater, meteorite impacts, moon and mars, museo di storia naturale, museo nazionale dell, pen men, perfect impact, rayed craters, satellite pictures