Asteroid Impact Energy
Calculate the kinetic energy and destructive potential of an asteroid impact from diameter, velocity, and density. Estimates crater size and earthquake equivalent.
Inputs
Results
Impact Energy
75.086 Mt TNT
Impact Energy
75,085.87 kt TNT
Crater Diameter
0.73 km
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the Asteroid Diameter (m) — Chelyabinsk was ~20 m, Tunguska ~50 m, the Chicxulub impactor ~10,000 m.
- Set Impact Velocity (km/s): typical near-Earth objects hit at 15–25 km/s; comets can exceed 60 km/s.
- Choose Asteroid Density (kg/m³): icy comets ~1,000, rubble-pile asteroids ~1,500, rocky bodies ~3,000, iron meteorites ~8,000.
- Read Impact Energy (Mt TNT) and Crater Diameter (km) to gauge destructive potential.
- Compare Hiroshima Equivalents and Avg Years Between Impacts to put the event in historical and probabilistic context.
Formula
KE = ½ m v²; m = ρ × (4/3)πr³Related Calculators
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