The Vredefort Impact Structure is the oldest and largest known impact crater on Earth. The entire crater is believed to have been about 300 kilometers (186 miles) across and was formed when an asteroid struck the Earth over 2 billion years ago. The asteroid that produced the crater is thought to have been about 5–10 kilometers (3–6 miles) in diameter.

The crater’s outline is now mostly hidden because of weathering and erosion. The only remaining visible feature is the crescent-shaped Vredefort Dome, shown in the center of this Landsat 8 image. The remnant dome is thought to have formed as a direct result of the impact. The southeastern portion of the dome has been covered over time by features that were formed later.

The Vaal River cuts across the dome remnant and its different rock layers. The city of Parys sits along the Vaal River near the dome. The multicolored geometric shapes to the left and right of the dome are related to agricultural land use.

The Landsat 8 optical sensor includes numerous spectral bands that can be used in various combinations, allowing users to accentuate and study specific features on the Earth's surface. This false color image uses a combination of visible and invisible (shortwave infrared) wavelengths to highlight the geological features of the area, in contrast to the surrounding agricultural and urban land use.