Earth, as well as all planets and moons with rocky surfaces, has experienced a large number of collisions from objects of extraterrestrial origin. Any impact that’s massive and energetic enough, in principle as well as in practice, could cause a mass extinction event if we don’t do something to mitigate it. (Credit: James Thew via Adobe Stock)
65 million years ago, a massive asteroid struck Earth. Not only didn’t Jupiter stop it, but it probably caused the impact itself.
One of the greatest existential threats to life on Earth is a giant cosmic impact. Whether from an asteroid, comet, or interstellar interloper, an…
