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How fast did the Chicxulub asteroid strike Earth?
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Earth impact hazard
An artist's rendering of the impact of a near-Earth object 66 million years ago in what is today the Caribbean region. Many scientists think that the collision of a large asteroid or comet nucleus with Earth triggered the mass extinction of dinosaurs and many other species near the end of the Cretaceous Period.
Based on impact-scaling simulations, the asteroid that created the Chicxulub crater struck Earth at a speed of approximately 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) per hour.1
This velocity is a key factor in determining the total kinetic energy released during such an Earth impact hazard, which is a primary consideration for assessing the potential destruction caused by near-Earth objects.2