How big was the KT meteor?
about 7.5 miles
The asteroid was about 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) in diameter and was traveling about 27,000 mph (43,000 km/h) when it created a 124-mile-wide (200 km) scar on the planet’s surface, said Sean Gulick, a research professor at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, who led the study.
Where is the KT asteroid?
Its center is offshore near the communities of Chicxulub Puerto and Chicxulub Pueblo, after which the crater is named. It was formed when a large asteroid, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) in diameter, struck the Earth….Chicxulub crater.
| Impact crater/structure | |
|---|---|
| Exposed | No |
| Drilled | Yes |
| Bolide type | Carbonaceous chondrite |
| Location |
How heavy was the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs?
From 11 to 81 kilometers (7 to 50 mi) in diameter and having a mass between 1.0×1015 and 4.6×1017 kg. The problem is it came in fast and hot because of the atmosphere and basically detonated as it smashed into the Yucatan Peninsula. This is where it hit.
What killed the dinosaurs?
The asteroid impact led to the extinction of 75% of life, including all non-avian dinosaurs. The crater left by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs is located in the Yucatán Peninsula. It is called Chicxulub after a nearby town.
Where did the K-T impact occur?
Since the early l990s the Chicxulub crater on Yucatan, Mexico, has been hailed as the smoking gun that proves the hypothesis that an asteroid killed the dinosaurs and caused the mass extinction of many other organisms at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary 65 million years ago.
What was the KT impact?
The K-T impact crater has now been found. It is a roughly egg-shaped geological structure called Chicxulub, deeply buried under the sediments of the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico (Figure 18.3). The structure is about 180 km across, one of the largest impact structures so far identified with confidence on Earth.
When was the last asteroid that hit Earth?
The last known impact of an object of 10 km (6 mi) or more in diameter was at the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago.
What is an asteroid?
15 Asteroid Facts for Kids An asteroid is an astronomical object that orbits the sun and not classified as a comet or a planet. An asteroid is also called a minor planet or a planetoid. The first asteroid (Ceres) was discovered in 1772 by German astronomer Johann E. Bode.
What are some interesting facts about the asteroid belt?
Enjoy a range of interesting facts about the Solar System’s asteroid belt, the impact of potential asteroid collisions with Earth, theories that suggest an asteroid led to the extinction of the dinosaurs and much more. Asteroids are small Solar System bodies that orbit the Sun.
What is the youngest asteroid family?
One of the youngest asteroids families is called the Datura family. It dates at just 53.000 years old. Asteroids are very important for scientists since they can offer lots of information about the history of the planets and the Sun. Meteorites are tiny pieces of asteroids that flow through a planet’s atmosphere.
What are asteroids made of?
Asteroids are objects made up of mostly metals and rocks. Many of these were mistaken for small planets in the past, as some orbit the sun. A majority of asteroids are rocky leftovers from the birth of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Airless, they exist as ancient space debris, orbiting between the main asteroid belt and Jupiter and Mars.