Arizona's Meteorite Crater

Harvey Harlow Nininger is considered to be the father of meteoritics. He worked tirelessly to convince the scientific community that meteorites were far more common on Earth than previously thought and a valuable source of information about the solar system and the Earth’s geologic past. In the dedication to Arizona’s Meteorite Crater, Nininger makes clear his passion for his science and for this particular place: “This book is dedicated to the proposition that the Arizona Meteorite Crater is one of the world’s greatest natural laboratories, and as such should be protected from all forms of mutilation and contamination and be perpetually preserved for purposes of research and education.” Nininger amassed the largest collection of meteorites of his time, in order to further his research. He later founded the American Meteorite Museum in Arizona with this collection, which went on to reside at the British Museum as well as Arizona State University for public viewing and scientific study.