10 New Shekels Craters in Israel

CRATERS IN ISRAEL
ISRAEL 74TH ANNIVERSARY COIN
Legal Tender issued by the Bank of Israel
 

Israel has five spectacular craters (in Hebrew Makhteshim) – the Ramon Crater, the Big Crater, Small Crater, and the Arif (Twin) Craters.
 

These phenomenal formations etched into the landscape of the Israeli Negev Desert are the feature of Israel's 74th Anniversary Coin.
 

The Negev Craters are rare geological phenomena, the result of a combination of special conditions - layers of rock of differing hardness, rapidly streaming waters that swept with them eroded material and built the walls of the craters, and the desert climate which has preserved these unique formations. According to geologists, the Negev Desert was once covered in water. At a later stage, when the water receded, the craters we know today, were formed. In contrast to some craters in the world that were formed by meteoric impact or volcanic activity, the craters in Israel were formed by erosion of the soft rocks beneath the hard rocks, by water.
 

The Ramon Crater is the largest erosion crater in the world. Recently, the "Ramon Crater International Dark Sky Park" was recognized as one of the 54 parks in the world for star observation, and it is the only one such park in the whole of the Middle East. The dark night skies over the Ramon Crater provide outstanding, natural panoramic starry night views.
 

The ancient 2000-year-old Nabatean Spice Route which passes across the heart of the Ramon Crater has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is commemorated on previous coins issued by the Bank of Israel.
 

The Ramon Crater serves as a memorial site for the seven astronauts in the Columbia Space Shuttle Crew, among them the first Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, all who perished when returning from their Space mission. The night skies of the Ramon Crater are preserved by ensuring natural light levels, and the splendid starry sky views are a very important element for the commemoration.