A spider shape in the Western Australian landscape has an astronomical explanation. A meteorite struck long ago; geology did the rest.
It starts with a shape
In the Kimberley region of Western Australia, pale ridges fan out from a central knot of rock. From above, the pattern resembles a many-legged spider. Geologists call it Spider Crater, but its shape is not the footprint of anything living.
An impact, then a very long wait
NASA Earth Observatory highlighted the structure on 13 October 2026, using an image captured by the NASA–USGS Landsat 9 satellite on 20 September. The entire impact structure is about 13 by 11 kilometres across; the more recognisable central pattern is roughly four kilometres across.
Why the “legs” survived
Scientists interpret the central feature as an uplift produced as the ground rebounded after a violent impact. Sandstone ridges resisted erosion better than surrounding rock, gradually producing the spider-like appearance. Field researchers identified shatter cones—distinctive fractures associated with powerful shock waves—and studies of minerals have added evidence for an impact origin.
What we still do not know
The precise impact date remains uncertain. Estimates discussed by NASA put it roughly 600 million to 900 million years ago. The new satellite image is a striking view of an old geological story, not evidence that the impact just happened.
Why it matters
Sometimes the strangest-looking places are explanations written in stone. This crater is a reminder that a satellite photograph can make a geological history suddenly visible.
This is an original explainer based on sources linked below. The image is stylised graphic artwork, not a documentary photograph. How we verify stories.