Aerial view of China's first impact crater

Aerial view of China's first impact crater. (Photo/Xinhua)

The Xiuyan-impact crater in Anshan city, northeast China's Liaoning province is the first crater in China, which was created by the impact of another celestial body. The crater has a diameter of 1,800 meters and is about 150 meters deep. The base consists of metamorphic rocks from the period of the Proterozoic (about 2.5 billion years ago to 541 million years ago).

176 impact craters have been reported worldwide. In China, impact craters are mainly situated in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and some suspected carters are in the provinces of Jiangsu, Guizhou and Hainan. The Xiuyan impact crater in northeast China is one of the most spectacular craters in Asia.