A small
impact crater discovered in the Egyptian desert could change the calculations
of risk of impact on our planet, according to a recent study. The Kamil
crater, one of the best preserved of those found on the Earth, was discovered
in February during a survey of satellite images with Google Earth. It is
believed that the crater was formed in the last two thousand years.
The Italian and Egyptian crater found recently visited and studied the hole 45
meters wide by 16 deep. They also collected thousands of pieces of space
rocks scattered in the surrounding desert. Based on the calculations, the
team believes that a solid iron meteorite, almost intact, between 5,000 and
10,000 kilos crashed into the desert at speeds in excess of 3.5 kilometers per
second.
