For an interactive global map, start with Western University’s Impact Earth map. To check a confirmed impact structure and find related literature, use the University of New Brunswick’s Earth Impact Database. NASA also provides a compact static reference table and an older downloadable visualization; neither should be mistaken for a live, current crater census.
Which resource should you use?
| Resource | Best for | Format and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Impact Earth, Western University | Exploring locations and map layers | Interactive map with layers for hypervelocity impact craters, impact craters, and impact deposits, plus diameter, crater and alternate pins, a Canadian layer, and fireball and bolide data. |
| Earth Impact Database, University of New Brunswick PASSC | Checking a structure’s record and associated research | Catalog of confirmed impact structures with images, publications, and abstracts; UNB says it has been compiled over 25 years. |
| NASA Johnson Space Center Earth Impact Database PDF | Looking up basic facts in a compact table | Static PDF listing structure names, locations, coordinates, ages in Ma, and diameters in kilometres. |
| NASA Goddard Verified Craters visualization | Using downloadable map imagery or video | Visualization released September 6, 2002, describing approximately 150 verified craters; historical media, not a current census. |
| Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum explainer | Getting accessible background | Explainer that gives an approximate figure of 190 confirmed impact craters and notes that mapped examples are almost all on continental crust; the figure is not a current database total. |
How to explore crater locations on a map
Impact Earth is the most direct starting point if you want to see where impact-related features are plotted and use the map’s available filters. Its layers do not all represent the same kind of record: impact deposits, fireball and bolide data, and other plotted phenomena should not be treated as confirmed impact craters. Check which layer is selected before interpreting a map marker.
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How to verify a particular impact structure
Use the University of New Brunswick’s Earth Impact Database when you need more than a location pin. UNB describes it as a collection of images, publications, and abstracts concerning confirmed impact structures around the world. It is the better choice for following a structure’s record into associated scientific material.
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Quick facts: NASA Johnson Space Center PDF
The NASA JSC PDF is handy when you need a short list of names, locations, coordinates, ages, and diameters in one document. Because it is a static file rather than a live database, use it as a reference table, not as evidence that its entries or total reflect the latest catalog state.
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Downloadable media: NASA Goddard visualization
NASA Goddard’s Scientific Visualization Studio page offers downloadable images and movie files. Its visualization dates to September 6, 2002, and describes approximately 150 verified craters. That number belongs to the older visualization and should not be presented as today’s confirmed-crater count.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why crater counts differ
Counts can vary by source, date, and category. A map may display confirmed structures alongside deposits or other impact-related data, while a catalog or older visualization may have a different scope and update schedule. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum gives an approximate figure of 190 confirmed impact craters, but this is its editorial figure, not a harmonized current total across the databases.
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For a current count or a claim about a specific structure, consult the live catalog and check the record and its references. Do not combine a map’s layers, the Smithsonian’s approximate count, and NASA’s 2002 visualization figure as if they use the same definitions or date.
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