If you'd like to build your own personal Earth-Asteroid collision, we direct your attention to Earth Impact Effects.
A simple but horrifying calculator, this page lets you select density, size, velocity and angle of impact for your personal Armageddon device. Then it tells you what will happen -- to you, to your friends, and yes, even to your little dog.
I plugged in a few parameters just off the top of my head and hit "go figure." Here's some out-takes fromt my results:
No warranty? You mean we can't return the planet if it breaks? Posted by Vanderleun at April 12, 2004 11:32 PM | TrackBack
Distance from Impact: 12.00 km = 7.45 milesProjectile Diameter: 91.44 m = 299.92 ft = 0.06 miles
Projectile Density: 8000 kg/m3
Impact Velocity: 72.00 km/s = 44.71 miles/s
Impact Angle: 78 degrees
Target Density: 1500 kg/m3
Target Type: Competent Rock or saturated soil
[--snip]
The air blast will arrive at approximately 40.0 seconds.
Peak Overpressure: 448706.4 Pa = 4.4871 bars = 63.7163 psi
Max wind velocity: 436.8 m/s = 977.0 mph
Sound Intensity: 113 dB (May cause ear pain)
Damage Description:
Multistory wall-bearing buildings will collapse.
Wood frame buildings will almost completely collapse.
Multistory steel-framed office-type buildings will suffer extreme frame distortion, incipient collapse.
Highway truss bridges will collapse.
Highway girder bridges will collapse.
Glass windows will shatter.
Cars and trucks will be largely displaced and grossly distorted and will require rebuilding before use.
Up to 90 percent of trees blown down; remainder stripped of branches and leaves.
Earth Impact Effects Program Copyright 2004, Robert Marcus, H.J. Melosh, and G.S. CollinsThese results come with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY
