NASA image shows the ridges of Western Australia’s Spider Crater
A new NASA Earth Observatory feature shows the eroded impact structure in a September Landsat 9 image, while its formation date remains uncertain.
NASA Earth Observatory published a Landsat 9 image of Spider Crater in Western Australia’s Kimberley region on October 13, 2026. Captured on September 20, the image shows the ridges that give the ancient impact structure its spider-like appearance.
What the ridges show
NASA describes the eroded structure as roughly 13 by 11 kilometres, with a central feature about 4 kilometres across. Geologists interpret its radiating sandstone ridges as remnants of a central uplift. NASA cites shatter cones and shocked minerals as evidence of an impact; the University of Western Ontario’s Impact Earth database also records Spider as a confirmed impact crater, citing shatter cones and central uplift.
The date of the impact is less certain. NASA estimates it occurred about 900 million to 600 million years ago. Impact Earth gives a range of 580 million to 900 million years and says the maximum age is poorly constrained. The September date belongs to the satellite image, not the impact.
Sources and context
- An Impact Structure With LegsNASA Earth Observatory
- Spider - Hypervelocity Impact CraterImpact Earth, University of Western Ontario
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