Illintsi Meteorite Crater, Luhova
An astrobleme about 400 million years old, whose rocks are exposed in the quarries on the outskirts of Luhova.
The crater formed about 400 million years ago from the fall of a cosmic body 230–300 m in diameter and with a mass of about 40 million tonnes. The original diameter of the crater is estimated at roughly 7 km, its depth at up to 600–800 m. In 1974 impact diamonds were found here. In 2017 the Vinnytsia Regional Council declared the geological natural monument “Illintsi Crater”, 17.2 ha in area, a site of the nature reserve fund of local significance. The rocks of the crater can be seen in the cuts of the quarries on the eastern outskirts of the village of Luhova, where a viewing platform and a small tour pavilion have been set up.
8 km from Illintsi, between the villages of Ivanky and Luhova; by bus Vinnytsia–Illintsi, then ≈10 km. No charge or hours; apart from the viewing platform and the pavilion there is no infrastructure. The quarries are working — do not enter the working areas and keep away from the edges of the exposures.