Impact craters are made when a space rock (called a meteorite or asteroid) hits a rocky planet or moon. The impact makes a round hole in the surface, called a crater. The size and shape of the crater depend on how big the meteorite is, how fast it is travelling, and what it is made of. Scientists use craters to learn about the history of the surface of planets and moons.
Use this activity to make your own craters! Explore what happens to the craters when you make changes to your experiment.
By the end of this activity you will:
- have created your own impact craters
- have identified features in your craters
- have set up and carried out an experiment
To complete this activity you will need:
- A high-walled container, at least 5cm deep – the larger the better!
- Objects to drop into the container – these will be your 'meteorites!’
- Any dry powdery material. It’s important to create different layers so make sure you use at least two different colours. We recommend sand or flour, and powder paint or cocoa powder
- Something to protect the floor around the container from any mess
- Safety goggles
- Ruler or meter stick (optional)
- Sieve (optional)
Have a go!
First, make sure you have all the things you need to complete this activity from the list above. Then, read through the safety advice below.
Once you have done that, you are ready to follow the instructions and make your own asteroid impact.
Safety advice
- Wear goggles when dropping the objects
- If very young children are taking part, make sure not to use objects which could be a choking hazard
1. Set up
- Fill your container with a base layer of power about 3 cm thick.
- Sprinkle a fine layer of a contrasting colour powder on top. You can use a sieve for this bit if you want to.
- You can now recreate an asteroid impact by dropping one of your objects into the tray.
Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University
2. Look for features in your crater
Look at this diagram. The labels point to different features of an impact crater. Can you find any of these features in your crater? Have a go at making a labelled drawing of your own crater.
3. Carry out an investigation
Use the investigation template to plan and carry out an investigation.
Here are some suggestions for your variables:
Independent variable (thing that you change)
- Object size/material/weight
- Height from which object is dropped
Control variable (thing that stays the same)
- Object
- Height from which object is dropped
Dependent variable (thing you measure)
- Diameter of crater
- Depth of crater
- Shape of crater
- Number of ejecta rays
- Length of longest ejecta ray