Morasko Crater

July 21, 2004

Morasko_crater_nr_4 copy

Provided by: Monika Jadwiga Okonska
Summary authors & editors: Monika Jadwiga Okonska

The above photo was taken early last month and shows one of the Morasko meteorite craters located in the Morasko Meteorite Reserve near Gora Moraska, Poland. Eight craters are located in this reserve --three of the eight craters are filled with water. The largest crater is nearly 100 m in diameter and 13 m in depth (the photo shows crater number 4). Morasko Meteorite Reserve was founded in 1976, and it's one of two registered meteorite impact points in Poland. Very few places on the Earth's surface have impact craters accompanied by identifiable meteorites.

Morasko meteorite was found by World War I soldiers, digging trenches in 1914 . A mass of rock weighing approximately 77.5 kg was extracted first. Then more masses were discoverd in 1936, 1956, 1992, 1995 and 1999 -- totaling about 350 kg. The fall of the meteorite (classified as an octahedrite IIICD ) likely occurred some 10,000 years ago.

Related Links: