# When the Sky Falls: The Physics of Cosmic Apocalypse
Asteroids are not just space rocks. They are cosmic bullets traveling at 20 km/s, capable of releasing more energy than all nuclear weapons on the planet combined. This simulator translates abstract physics into tangible human consequences.# The Doomsday Equation
It all starts with kinetic energy: E = ½mv². A 100-meter asteroid traveling at 20 km/s releases approximately 0.5 megatons of TNT. For context, the Hiroshima bomb was 0.015 megatons.But size scales exponentially. An object 10 times larger has 1,000 times more volume (and mass), releasing energy equivalent to 500 megatons. Chicxulub, the dinosaur killer, released the equivalent of 100 million megatons.A 1 km asteroid striking Earth would release more energy than all of the planet's nuclear weapons detonated simultaneously.# Anatomy of Destruction: Concentric Layers of Apocalypse
- The Crater (Ground Zero): The crater diameter scales with E^0.3. A 1-megaton impact creates a ~1 km crater. Everything inside is instantly vaporized.
- Thermal Radiation (The Flash): The fireball emits intense infrared radiation. At distances of E^0.41 km, clothing ignites and skin suffers third-degree burns.
- Shockwave (The Hammer): The overpressure wave travels at supersonic speed. At 1 psi, glass shatters. At 5 psi, buildings collapse.
- Earthquake (The Seismic Echo): The impact generates global seismic waves. Chicxulub caused a magnitude 11 earthquake, breaking the Richter scale.
# Historical Impacts: Lessons from the Past
| Location & Year | Size | Energy | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelyabinsk, Russia (2013) | 20 meters | 500 kilotons | Shockwave at 100 km, 1,500 injured, broken windows |
| Tunguska, Siberia (1908) | 50-60 meters | 10-15 megatons | Flattened 2,000 km² of forest, 80 million trees felled |
| Chicxulub, Gulf of Mexico (66 M years) | 10 km | 100 million megatons | Extinction of 75% of life on Earth |