A faster meteor at an oblique angle suffers greater stress. Meteors composed of iron withstand the stress better than those made of stone. A meteor sometimes explodes above the surface, causing widespread damage from the blast and ensuing fire. This happened in 1908 over Siberia. Craters on Earth form much as they would on the moon or any rocky planet.
Smaller objects create simple, bowl-shaped craters.
The largest impacts form basins in which multiple rebounds form several inner peaks. In ancient times, objects in the night sky conjured superstition and were associated with gods and religion. But misunderstandings about meteors lasted longer than they did about most other celestial objects. Others thought the gods were displaying their anger. Many scientists were skeptical that stones could fall from the clouds or the heavens, and often they simply didn't believe the accounts of people who claimed to have seen such things.