It’s been many times big asteroid once hit the Earth and left a large crater. This is because the energy from a violent asteroid impact has almost the same effect as a nuclear bomb. Experts and research scientists say, in the last 600 million years about 60 asteroids or similar objects measuring more than 3 miles (5 km) in diameter have hit the earth.
In modern history, the Tunguska incident in Russia in 1908 is a vivid example. This asteroid impact event burned about 80 million trees in 830 square miles (1,335.76 sq km) of forest. (Read also; NASA Detects An Asteroid As Tall As The Eiffel Tower Flying Towards Earth )
Asteroids also leave a gaping collision mark in the form of a wide crater on the Earth’s surface. The following events of the 10 largest asteroid collisions on Earth are quoted from the worldatlas page;
1. Vredefort
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The first largest asteroid impact created the 118,061-mile (190 km) radius Vredefort crater in the Free State Province of South Africa, 2 billion years ago. It is estimated that the size of the asteroid that hit the earth was about 10 km wide.
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The second largest asteroid impact caused the 80.7783 mile (130 km) radius Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada, 1.8 billion years ago. Debris from the impact was spread over an area of 1,600,000 sq km and there were rock fragments thrown 800 km away found in Minnesota. This crater is 62 km long, 30 km wide, and 15 km deep.
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The third largest asteroid impact caused the formation of Acraman Crater with a radius of 55.9234 miles (90 km) in the Gawler Ranges, South Australia, Australia, 580 million years ago. Its location is marked by Lake Acraman, a playa lake or lake whose bottom has dried up due to large evaporation.
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The fourth largest asteroid impact formed Woodleigh Crater with a radius of 25-74.5645 miles (120 km) east of Shark Bay, Gascoyne region, Western Australia, 360 million years ago. The crater that was formed is thought to be due to the impact of an asteroid or comet with a diameter of about 5 to 6 km, some even call it even bigger, namely 6 to 12 kilometers.
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The fifth largest asteroid impact, creating the 62.1371-mile (100 km) radius Manicouagan Crater in Quebec, Canada, occurred 215 million years ago. This crater was formed after the impact of an asteroid measuring 3 miles (5 km) in diameter.
The first largest asteroid impact created the 118,061-mile (190 km) radius Vredefort crater in the Free State Province of South Africa, 2 billion years ago. It is estimated that the size of the asteroid that hit the earth was about 10 km wide.
2. Sudbury
–The second largest asteroid impact caused the 80.7783 mile (130 km) radius Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada, 1.8 billion years ago. Debris from the impact was spread over an area of 1,600,000 sq km and there were rock fragments thrown 800 km away found in Minnesota. This crater is 62 km long, 30 km wide, and 15 km deep.
3. Acraman
–The third largest asteroid impact caused the formation of Acraman Crater with a radius of 55.9234 miles (90 km) in the Gawler Ranges, South Australia, Australia, 580 million years ago. Its location is marked by Lake Acraman, a playa lake or lake whose bottom has dried up due to large evaporation.
4. Woodleigh
–The fourth largest asteroid impact formed Woodleigh Crater with a radius of 25-74.5645 miles (120 km) east of Shark Bay, Gascoyne region, Western Australia, 360 million years ago. The crater that was formed is thought to be due to the impact of an asteroid or comet with a diameter of about 5 to 6 km, some even call it even bigger, namely 6 to 12 kilometers.
5. Manicouagan
–The fifth largest asteroid impact, creating the 62.1371-mile (100 km) radius Manicouagan Crater in Quebec, Canada, occurred 215 million years ago. This crater was formed after the impact of an asteroid measuring 3 miles (5 km) in diameter.
Manicouagan Crater is a circular lake with an area of 1,942 sq km. The lake island in the center is known as René-Levasseur Island, and its highest point is Mount Babylon.
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