| Meteorites |
Composition:
- Small, heavy rocks and/or metal-containing bodies that are found on the ground, likely from an asteroid or comet. Composition of these bodies include iron, silicate minerals, nickel, carbon, and amino acids.
- Meteors are the streaks of light or falling stars that are made from a falling meteorite.
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Effect of Impact:
- A stony meteorite 10-300 feet in diameter would disintegrate a few miles above the surface, creating a shock and heat wave that would devastate a wide area and leave only minute rock particles.
- Would create a crater.
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| Asteroids |
Composition:
- Same as meteorite, but bigger and more destructive.
- Contains Iridium.
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Effect of Impact:
- Upon impact, they would create craters, fires and dust. The impact of an asteroid 1 km in diameter would cause the climate to change: the dust would block out the Sun and the polar ice caps would likely melt. There would be mini-aftershocks and mini-debris from asteroids that would hit in areas around the center of the impact.
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| Comets |
Composition:
- A heavenly body having a bright nucleus with a luminous mass around it and a long, luminous tail when it is close to the Sun.
- Comprised of vast clouds of ice, dust and organic materials.
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Effect of Impact:
- Small comets would disintegrate in the upper atmosphere and not likely cause any surface destruction, or explode above ground, causing rocky debris to fall to Earth.
- A comet, 2km in diameter, is large enough to reach Earth's surface and would cause problems akin to a "nuclear winter."
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