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Large objects hitting the earth
Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 2:28 pm
by Frances Newsom
The pick of the day photograph for Monday, May 20th, 2013, has me wondering if this was indeed an extremely large asteroid hit that slammed into earth and was for the most part consumed, but the remaining mountainous structure then eroded over time?
Re: Large objects hitting the earth
Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 2:33 pm
by Chris Peterson
Frances Newsom wrote:The pick of the day photograph for Monday, May 20th, 2013, has me wondering if this was indeed an extremely large asteroid hit that slammed into earth and was for the most part consumed, but the remaining mountainous structure then eroded over time?
No. Impacts produce characteristic shock structures that range in scale from several meters down to micrometers. None are present in the local rocks. The structure in the APOD is not meteoritic.
Re: Large objects hitting the earth
Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 2:37 pm
by Frances Newsom
Thank you, Chris. I can stop wondering.