The Meteor That Killed the Dinosaurs Was More Powerful Than The World’s Nuclear Arsenal
Every day, somewhere in the back of our minds, we carry on with the awareness that a meteor may strike the Earth and instantly kill everyone on it. Although unlikely, it has happened before, therefore it is possible that it will do so again in the future. This implies that a meteor must be quite strong when it touches down. To determine how potent they can be, we can examine one from the recent past.
In 2013, a meteor above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk lit up the night sky. The 42,000 mph rock, weighing 11,000 tons, smashed into the air, sending a shockwave that destroyed 4,000 structures. It released energy that was 30 times more than that of the Hiroshima bomb. Strong stuff. But as you may have noted, nothing catastrophic happened.
The meteor that is typically blamed for the extinction of the dinosaurs would be the most well-known meteor in history if we traveled back in time. That one was unquestionably more potent than Chelyabinsk, and the magnitude of its strength was astounding. According to research, the strength of that specific explosion was equivalent to 10 billion bombs detonated during the Second World War. Enough to kill 75% of all life on Earth and sear life millions of kilometers away.
- Power releases: 30 times more than that of the Hiroshima bomb
