Hi, list: Sorry to get into this late, but better late than never!
I visited the Middlesboro area for the second time a couple of months ago, and recommend going to see it. Driving into town on the main road from the Interstate, it's clear that the geology is different from the surrounding area. I suggest going over to the nearby Cumberland Gap national park for the best view, though. Go into the little museum there (worth seeing in itself if you like history) and ask the ranger at the desk to show you the 3D plastic USGS map they have of the area. It shows the astrobleme clearly. I think, too, that might be where I got my copy of "Traces of Catastrophy: A Handbook of Shock Metamorphic Effects in Terrestrial Meteorite Impact Structures," by Bevan M. French (good, but not exactly light reading!). Then get directions to the overlook. The road to the overlook goes through the park and is a steep switchback road up a mountain. Be sure your coolant system is in good shape before going to avoid overheating if you go in the summer! There's a parking lot at the top and a short walking path to the Cumberland Gap overlook, but from there you can look back to the right toward Middlesboro and really see the crater well. Kentucky also has the Versailles Structure in Woodford County not terribly far from Lexington, although I don't know if there is anything there to see. More interesting is Jeptha Knob, the central uplift of another impact structure. It lies north of (and easily visible from) I-64 between Lexington and Louisville. It's best seen from the Interstate near a truck weigh station just east of Shelbyville. It looks like a largish, isolated hill (in rolling country) with an antenna farm at the top. There's more information on these structures from the Kentucky Geological Survey site at www.uky.edu/KGS/home.htm , but you'll need to use the search function to find it all. I think the KGS also has some meteorites on display in their campus building. There are some other impact structures in surrounding states, too. I find that the Geological Survey sites for many states are good sources of information about such things. Dave Hostetter Curator of the Planetarium Lafayette (LA) Natural History Museum & Planetarium >Hello List, Looks like things might be looking up for me, >finally! I got a >job offer in Lexington Kentucky. Just got to work out the >details. I am >into meteorites, not race horses, is there anything or anyone >interesting in >Kentucky? I think this will be safer the Iraq!!! : ) >Thanks, Tom >Peregrineflier <>< >The proudest member of the IMCA 6168 > > > >______________________________________________ >Meteorite-list mailing list >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
