Steinheim crater
Encyclopedia
The Steinheim crater is a meteorite
crater
in Steinheim am Albuch
, Heidenheim County
, Baden-Württemberg
, Germany. The crater is located at the northeastern end of the Swabian Alb
near the much larger (24 km diameter) Nördlinger Ries
crater and was most probably formed simultaneously with it by the oblique, ENE directed impact of a double asteroid.
It is 3.8 km in diameter and the age is estimated to be 15 ± 1 million years (Miocene
). The crater is exposed at the surface.
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
in Steinheim am Albuch
Steinheim am Albuch
Steinheim am Albuch is a municipality in the district of Heidenheim in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Steinheim is known for its meteorite crater.-References:...
, Heidenheim County
Heidenheim (district)
Heidenheim is a district in the east of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Ostalbkreis, Dillingen, Günzburg, Alb-Donau and Göppingen.-History:...
, Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany. The crater is located at the northeastern end of the Swabian Alb
Swabian Alb
The Swabian Alps or Swabian Jura is a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending 220 km from southwest to northeast and 40 to 70 km in width. It is named after the region of Swabia....
near the much larger (24 km diameter) Nördlinger Ries
Nördlinger Ries
The Nördlinger Ries is a large circular depression in western Bavaria, Germany, located north of the Danube in the district of Donau-Ries. The city of Nördlingen is located about southwest of the centre of the depression....
crater and was most probably formed simultaneously with it by the oblique, ENE directed impact of a double asteroid.
It is 3.8 km in diameter and the age is estimated to be 15 ± 1 million years (Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
). The crater is exposed at the surface.