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AsteriaStar
Impact event · ≈ 66 million years ago

Chicxulub impact

The impact of a ~10-kilometre asteroid that formed the Chicxulub crater and is widely linked to the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction, including the end of the non-avian dinosaurs.

Impact event

Overview

The impact of a ~10-kilometre asteroid that formed the Chicxulub crater and is widely linked to the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction, including the end of the non-avian dinosaurs.

Figures are given only where scientifically established; this page describes the event factually, without exaggeration.

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

  • BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica

    General reference for the history of astronomy, biographies, and cultural context.