Normally, one is not allowed to hike the rim trail around Meteor
Crater without paying $15 for the regular visit and $15 for the
guided walk around the crater. But, during the Flagstaff Science
Festival it is free to locals---even this displaced
Warrington/Pensacola amateur astronomer.

I reserved slots and sent invitations to the Flagstaff Hiking Club,
the Northern Arizona University Hiking Club, and the Northern Arizona
University Astronomy and Astro-biology Club. Only members of FHC and
their friends showed up.

The photographs mostly speak for themselves. When you see the ruins
of an old schoolhouse on the outside slopes of Meteor Crater-to the
upper left the skyline is Anderson Mesa---the Lowell Observatory Dark
Sky Site and the Naval Proto-type Optical Interferometer are at the
far end of this mesa about 15 miles as the crow flies. I live about 3
miles beyond there--about 18 as the crow flies miles from Meteor
Crater---but, by paved road---about a 70 mile drive.

Seeing the display reminded me that I am not just a (retired)
Odessa College planetarium director and asst. prof. of astronomy,
physics, and math---I also was curator of the Odessa Meteor Crater
collection-housed (at that time) at the college library. Since my job
only consisted of making sure (from time to time) that the case got
dusted----I tend to forget and have never listed that on my resume.

Many of the stories told now differ from what used to be told. The
meteoroid has grown from 81 ft. diameter to 154 feet. The guide said
that the stories have changed even in the few years she has been
there.

The great historiographer, Arnold Toynbee, said that history is an
agreed upon pack of lies.

Here are the links for photographs.

Robert Blake, Escambia Amateur Astronomers Association founder
1959, reactivator, late 1977/early 1978, asst. prof., planetarium
director, and Odessa Crater Museum curator, rtd.


http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff48/flagstaffhikingclub5/?
action=view&current=732cfb4d.pbw

http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff48/flagstaffhikingclub5/?
action=view&current=5c18429b.pbw

http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff48/flagstaffhikingclub5/?
action=view&current=2ad33892.pbw