Open Veils · Answer
Has Australia been hit by astreods?
Australia is one of the most heavily cratered landmasses on Earth, hosting at least 34 confirmed impact structures — a number still climbing as new craters are found. The geological record here is extraordinary: the Pilbara's North Pole Dome has now been confirmed (per ABC News, June 2026) as the world's oldest known asteroid crater at 3 billion years. A metre-sized meteoroid designated 2026 RW1 struck the ocean off northwest Australia as recently as September 2026, forecast six hours in advance by ESA's Meerkat system.
Evidence
- Australia's ancient, stable cratons preserve impact evidence that younger, more geologically active continents have erased.
- The North Pole Dome in the East Pilbara was confirmed again (ABC News, June 2026) as the world's oldest known impact site at 3 billion years, after an earlier false start in dating.
- The Acraman crater in South Australia stretches 90 kilometres in diameter and dates to roughly 590 million years ago — its ejecta layer has been traced hundreds of kilometres into the Adelaide Geosyncline.
- Combined with the recently confirmed Ilkurlka and Miralga structures, Australia now hosts 34 confirmed craters.