Earth was born as a result of repeated asteroid collisions, the moon was created by a single giant impact event. Then, Earth’s size attracted huge meteorites, which slammed into it, causing super-high-temperature rock vapour to cover the entire surface and evaporate all ocean water.

The earliest life-forms survived such infernal events by escaping deep into the ground, miraculously emerging again and again. The Earth has gone through innumerable catastrophic events, and life has survived by acquiring new abilities to live through each crisis. Humans are part of the grand history of life’s evolution, which has been closely intertwined with repeated cataclysmic events.

Learn what would happen if an asteroid hit the Earth with this detailed “Large Asteroid Impact Simulation”.

An asteroid with a diameter of 500 km. Destination: The Pacific Ocean. The impact peels the 10 km crust off the surface. The shockwave travels at hypersonic speeds. Debris is blasted across into low Earth orbit, and returns to destroy the surface of the Earth. The firestorm encircles the Earth, vaporizing all life in its way. Within one day, the surface of the Earth is uninhabitable. The evidence shows that this has happened at least six times in Earth’s history.

0:12 An asteroid with a diameter of 500 km.

0:47 Destination: The Pacific Ocean.

1:17 The impact peels the 10 km crust off the surface.

1:28 The shockwave travels at hypersonic speeds.

1:53 Debris is blasted across into low Earth orbit,

2:11 and returns to destroy the surface of the Earth.

2:55 The firestorm encircles the Earth,

3:05 vaporizing all life in its way.

3:34 Within one day, the surface of the Earth is uninhabitable.

4:19 The evidence shows that this has happened at least six times in Earth’s history.

Discovery Channel – Large Asteroid Impact Simulation (2008)



Music : Pink Floyd “The Great Gig in the Sky” (1973)