The key facts

  • The image was taken on September 20, 2026 by the OLI instrument aboard Landsat 9 (a joint project of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey).
  • The Spider Crater in the Kimberley region has an oval shape about 13 km long and about 11 km wide.
  • Its exact age is unknown: estimates based on the age of the rocks suggest roughly 600–900 million years, the late Precambrian.

Satellite image of the Spider Crater

According to NASA, an image of the Spider Crater, located in Australia's Kimberley region, was acquired on September 20, 2026 using the OLI instrument aboard the Landsat 9 satellite. This satellite, operated jointly by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, monitors the Earth's surface. The entire impact structure has an oval shape approximately 13 km long and about 11 km wide.

Origin of the 'spider' appearance

According to geologists, the central part, which resembles a spider, formed as a result of the repeated uplift of the crater floor after the impact, while its light-colored 'legs' are ridges of sandstone. The surrounding layers of other rocks were destroyed, whereas these ridges survived.

From volcano to meteorite

Scientists initially proposed various hypotheses about the origin of the structure, including linking it to volcanic activity. Later, field studies revealed cone-shaped structures with fan-shaped fractures, which form under the action of powerful shock waves. These features point to an ancient meteorite impact.

Research and age

Researchers also studied quartz and zircon crystals from the shocked sandstone in the laboratory. These data may help determine the angle at which the meteorite struck the Earth. The exact age of the crater is still unknown: according to estimates based on the age of the rocks in the area, it formed roughly 600–900 million years ago, in the late Precambrian.