Planetary Impacts

Part of Hall of the Universe.

the Wllliamette meteorite AMNH/D. Finnin

Impacts have played an important role throughout the history of the solar system. During the formation epoch, impacts built up the planets. A period of intense bombardment continued for hundreds of millions of years, with life on Earth developing only afterward. Impact craters are the dominant surface feature on the Moon, Mercury, and many moons of the gas giant planets. On Earth, a comet or asteroid impact contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Impacts can affect the long-term evolution of life, and the question of future catastrophic impacts is not if, but when.

 

In This Section

Exhibit The Willamette Meteorite The iron meteorite was found in Oregon. It's the largest ever recovered in the US, and the sixth-largest in the world. Exhibit Meteors and Meteorites Meteors, also known as shooting stars, are pebble-size fragments of comets and asteroids streaking through Earth’s upper atmosphere. Exhibit Asteroids Asteroids are small, rocky worlds with generally irregular shapes. Exhibit Comets Comets are kilometer-size snowballs made of ice and dust. Exhibit Impact Excavation The hypervelocity impact of a 1-centimeter meteorite would excavate a crater as large as the circular area of this exhibit.