Odessa meteor 
crater
Quoting Glenn Justice, this is the second largest crater in the United States. It is estimated to have fallen 20,000 years ago. It's possible that it weighed as much as 1000 tons; but walking on the site looking at all the terrain it's not easy to visualize the results of the impact.

Viewing from a distance from a greater height, enhances the image much more than viewed from ground level. This photograph is my favorite!
Another view is the 1998 Photo of the Crater.

In 1952 a publication, Odessa City of Dreams tells of the meteor crater and other data of our country side.

Courtesy, Author Glenn Justice, & Betty Orbeck Collection / The Petroleum Museum.

Glen Evans page has lots of Meteor data and Julius Drew Henderson tells of history of the site. Go to Glen Evans and enjoy the history.

Odessa Map This map shows the Meteor Crater South West of Odessa.
Bill Bentley covers the Crater with other details

More data:
Howell Engineering; both Father and Son expound this theory:
The meteor shower struck the earth at an angle South West or North East! Which?

Well, Wade Howell showed me a map of a string of Buffalo Wallows or Playa Lakes that fell in line right across Odessa going to the main Crater Site. He surmises that the Meteor came from the North East; was spinning and dropped chucks of material before the final impact South West of town.

The other theory by son Sam Howell, thought the main Meteor body struck the ground and then part of it bounced and disintegrated to the North East and left a string of smaller indentations in the earth.

After a thorough scrutiny of topo maps of the Odessa Area; one of these gentlemen is undoubtably correct. What is your thought?

Mr. Glen Evans said it was a shower confirming Howell Engineering Company theory of the string of indentations. You be the judge?

Go to Glen Evans Page


Clear Photograph Page
Last Updated: Saturday, April 21, 1998