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Morasko Meteorite Nature Reserve
 

Morasko Meteorite Nature Reserve

A 'space' attraction on the outskirts of the city.

A group of craters created by the fall of a meteorite, located on the slope of Góra Moraska, which is the highest hill in the vicinity of Poznań (height - 154 m above sea level), approx. 500 m to the west from the Morasko district. These craters were created as a result of the impact of fragments of a large iron meteorite (so-called siderite), probably belonging to the Perseid meteor shower, which the Earth encounters in mid-August every year. Moraskie craters are one of the largest concentrations of this type of objects on Earth, in terms of size and number. The largest one has a diameter of about 60 m and a depth of up to 11.5 m.

Fragments of the meteorite can be seen in the Earth Museum of the Faculty of Geographic and Geological Sciences of Adam Mickiewicz University.

In addition to these "cosmic" and landscape values, it is also a high-class natural monument. Most of the craters are located in the oak and hornbeam forest, once typical of Greater Poland and now becoming increasingly rare, called oak-hornbeam forest. In the undergrowth we can find many rare and protected plants, such as the lace lily, the common hoofwort, etc. The short-necked hornwort, which is very rare in Greater Poland, grows in water reservoirs. Many species of animals also live in the reserve. In addition to the enormous wealth of invertebrates, noteworthy are the numerous species of birds nesting here (e.g. the black woodpecker or the nightjar), and among the mammals, the badger.
Last update: 2024-02-02

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