About 16 kilometres southwest of Odessa off Interstate 20 lies one of the largest and best-preserved meteor craters in the United States — though "best-preserved" is relative, since thousands of years of erosion have reduced what was once a dramatic bowl to a subtle depression in the flat Permian Basin landscape. The crater is around 168 metres in diameter, formed when a metallic meteorite struck roughly 63,000 years ago and scattered fragments across the surrounding terrain.
A small museum at the site contains meteorite fragments and explains the impact science. The site is free and open daily. It is, frankly, not very impressive to look at — but the knowledge of what you are standing in front of, and the sheer improbability of the event, makes it worth the short detour from the interstate.
5822 Meteor Crater Road, Odessa, TX 79765. Free admission.