Astronomy-Meteorite: Is a large area of west central Wisconsin really the remains of a crater formed a billion years ago when a huge meteorite slammed into the continent? Donna Stetz, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student, believes so. She noticed the remarkable scar while using satellite photos to study geology. The scar (in the photo at right and the map below) is a circle about 55 miles across, roughly defined by the routes of the Mississippi, Chippewa and Black Rivers. The circle is especially visible in winter when snow makes ground features stand out. It also is outlined by changes in vegetation and by the flow of the rivers. After impact, Ms. Stetz believes, the crater was a boulder strewn hole. Proof of her theory could come only after a digging for thousands of rock samples in the crater area
Photo measures 10 x 8 inches. Photo is dated 11-17-1977.
.
Photo back:
