How Big Was the Asteroid That Contributed to Dinosaur Extinction?

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Illustration showing a massive asteroid above a city map with a dinosaur silhouette for scale, highlighting the asteroid's size compared to major urban areas.

Map of the northern Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico highlighting the location and circular outline of the Chicxulub crater, which is about 180 kilometers in diameter and partly extends into the Gulf of Mexico. The map also shows nearby cities such as Merida, Cancun, Campeche, and Playa del Carmen, as well as international borders with Belize and Guatemala. An inset globe marks the region's location in the Americas.

How Big Was the Asteroid That Contributed to Dinosaur Extinction?: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Aman Kumar
Aman Kumar is an editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Added media.	Rick Livingston	Sep 29, 2026
	Media added.	Meg Matthias	Mar 25, 2026
	New article added.	Aman Kumar	Jan 29, 2026