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 M¢25  Funded By Mahalo ? |  August 28, 2009 02:39 AM

What are the top five largest asteroid impacts on earth?

Why didn't the earth fragment in two when these asteroids struck the earth?

Is there evidence that asteroids have fragmented moons of other planets?

What size of an asteroid would be a killer asteroid? How much power would be released on impact?
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Best Answer  Chosen by Asker

 
August 28, 2009 06:57 AM
The Top Five largest Asteroid impacts on Earth (plus the next five):

The largest asteroid (in fact a planetoid) ever to hit Earth was Theia, a Mars-sized cellestial body formed 4 billion years ago, during the early days of the Solar system. Theia formed in a Lagrange point, a region in the Earth's orbit, on the opposite side of the Sun. Orbital fluctuations caused this body to oscillate closer to Earth, until they collided, throwing up a great volume of molten rock. Some of this molten rock was ejected with such a force that it entered orbit, aggregated, cooled, and became our Moon. This event is called Giant Impact Theory, and explains most features of the Earth-Moon system, and the Moon´s chemical composition similarity with the Earth's crust.
http://espaciociencia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/impacto-theia-tierra.jpg

On second place, we can name the Vredefort Crater in South Africa, also known as the Vredefort Dome. It is the largest verified crater on Earth today with a crater size of 300 Km across. This is believed to be the largest asteroid to impact the Earth.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Vredefort_Dome_STS51I-33-56AA.jpg/596px-Vredefort_Dome_STS51I-33-56AA.jpg

On third place, we have the Chicxulub Crater, left behind by a 10 Km asteroid or comet that hit the Yucatan peninsula, leaving a 150-Km wide impact, 65 million years ago. This is the asteroid that exterminated the dinosaurs. Today the crater is not visible. Is hidden in part, under the Yucatan peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico´s seafloor.
http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/6675/2692643020102365357S600x600Q85.jpg

On fourth place, is Manicouagan Crater in northern Canada is one of the largest impact craters known on Earth. Occurred 210 million years ago during the Triassic period and caused the mass extinction of 60 percent of all species. The 5 Km wide asteroid made a 70-Km wide impact structure and has mostly eroded. Today the lake is a reservoir.
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2009/08/impact_manicouagan1a.jpg

On fifth place, comes Kara-Kul Crater, in Tajikistan
http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/39981/2707108290102365357S600x600Q85.jpg

On six place, we have Clearwater Lakes, Canada. Two circular lakes/impact craters in the province of Quebec, formed by the simultaneous impact of a pair of asteroids, 290 million years ago. The larger of the two lakes has 32 km in diameter, the smaller one 22 Km.
http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/42428/2005320520102365357S600x600Q85.jpg

On seven place, Mistastin Lake, Canada
http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/43796/2153519830102365357S600x600Q85.jpg

On eight place Gosses Bluff, Australia
http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/43636/2817797430102365357S600x600Q85.jpg

On nine place, comes Aorounga Crater, one of the best preserved impact craters on Earth, in the Sahara Desert, in Chad. It is a 350 million year old crater with 16 Km in diameter.
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2009/08/impact_aorounga1a.jpg

On ten place, is Deep Bay, Canada
http://inlinethumb34.webshots.com/22817/2445776820102365357S600x600Q85.jpg
Source(s):
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-largest-asteroid-ever-to-hit-earth.htm

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/impactcraters/

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/10-greatest-major-impact-crat...

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