3 ms·
For such a size impactor, atmosphere does nothing. Might as well be vacuum. Sure, milliseconds before impact the atmosphere might be super-compressed (and supe
by RetroTechie 3y ago
For such a size impactor, atmosphere does nothing. Might as well be vacuum.
Sure, milliseconds before impact the atmosphere might be super-compressed (and super-heated). Perhaps even exert considerable force. But compared with kinetic energy of that size impactor, at such speed: negligable.
Small objects 'feel' the atmosphere much stronger. Surface area vs. volume.
- jacquesm 3y agoWhatever parts of the atmosphere were involved in the direct vicinity of the impactor would be heated to plasma. It is just too much energy, you're talking about the equivalent of a massive number of H-Bombs all going off at roughly the same time.
- jvm___ 3y agoIt would probably punch a 15km wide hole in the atmosphere, no? Which would then rapidly collapse from the sides and collide with whatever was ejected... would be fun to watch while parked somewhere safe in orbit.
- jacquesm 3y agoBetter not be LEO... I wonder how high the ejecta would go and how far they would reach across the planet.
- two_in_one 3y ago15 km diameter is about the size of "thick" atmosphere. The mass of the air in this volume is something about 0.000..% . At speed of 80 km/sec, well, atmosphere didn't slow it down much. And if there was only microbial life at that time it adapted and bounced back quickly.
- jvm___ 3y agoI was thinking of it's 80km/s wake through the atmosphere. Coming straight in it wouldn't be long horizontally but the clap of 15kms of atmosphere being pushed aside and then coming together behind it...
- two_in_one 3y agoMost likely 'behind' was filled by evaporated water and rocks. But that was quite a shock wave both in atmosphere and in the ground. It's strange that in managed to get only 2x of its diameter into the crust. I though it could just get though into magma. That would make the biggest volcano ever.