23:00 23 September 2009
Approximately 150 impact craters are known on Earth, but most are severely eroded or hidden beneath tonnes of rock. Still, a few spectacular examples are visible with aerial photography, satellites or instruments that can peek beneath the surface.
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The Wolfe Creek Crater is a well-preserved crater in Australia, around 900 metres wide. It formed around 300,000 years ago, and the smash is thought to have completely liquefied both the meteorite and surrounding rocks. The white spot in the centre is a large deposit of sedimentary gypsum.
(Image: Jesse Allen/TERRA/ASTER/NASA)