Astronauts
Astronomy
Constellation
Deep Sky Objects
Moon
Stargazing
Telescope
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Accuracy & Corrections Terms & Condition
COPYRIGHT. All contents of on the site comporting the StarLust branding are Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.
STARLUST.ORG / ASTRONOMY

NASA satellite captures the power of an asteroid that deformed a mountain on impact

Asteroid collisions are significant events in the list of space anomalies, and the recent discovery shows how they change Earth's landscape.
UPDATED 7 DAYS AGO
Barringer Meteor Crater (Representative Cover Image by Charles O'Rear / Getty Images)
Barringer Meteor Crater (Representative Cover Image by Charles O'Rear / Getty Images)

To imagine the tremendous power of an asteroid’s impact on Earth that changes the dimensions of a landscape seems otherworldly. Yet, we were privy to its works, starting with the complete wipeout of the dinosaurs. An image by NASA’a satellite provided a peek into the past and the strength of this space matter as it crashed into a mountain range in Australia's Northern Territory around 600 million years ago. As the object enters Earth’s atmosphere, it starts to shed mass which affects the final impact. This crash years ago changed the face of the landscape in the area entirely.

3D Render of a Topographic Map of Brussels, Belgium: Color and Water texture: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2021) courtesy of ESA. (Representative Photo by FrankRamspott / Getty Images)
3D Render of a Topographic Map of Brussels, Belgium: Color and Water texture: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2021) courtesy of ESA. (Representative Photo by FrankRamspott / Getty Images)

The time was the Ediacaran Period when the planet had just shed a cover of ice and the land was practically barren. Yet, a small portion of unique, soft-bodied creatures lived in the depths of seas. Some of them were worm-like organisms with crescent heads, spiral-shaped mounds with unusual trilateral symmetry, and fern-like fronds, according to NASA Earth Observatory. It was a possibility that these tiny creatures had to bear the obliteration of an asteroid. The asteroid was around 700-1300 feet in diameter and had eroded since its impact, but signs of the collision remain imprinted.

An aerial drone photograph from Wolfe Creek Crater in Western Australia (Representative Photo by Matt Deakin / Getty Images)
An aerial drone photograph from Wolfe Creek Crater in Western Australia (Representative Photo by Matt Deakin / Getty Images)

The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured the image of the impact site on February 3, 2025. The collision created a canoe-shaped trough in the land that was around 3,280 ft wide and 16,404 ft long. Satellite observations indicate deformation in the regional rock strata, with greater effects to the north and south, and lesser to the east and west. The shape of the impact site crater was long and narrow and the pattern of regional deformation suggests the asteroid struck at a shallow angle, unlike the one that led to the extinction of dinosaurs.

Blue Earth and asteroids in the space. View of planet Earth from space. Elements of this image furnished by NASA, 3d animation (Representative Photo by mikdam / Getty Images)
Blue Earth and asteroids in the space. View of planet Earth from space. Elements of this image furnished by NASA, 3d animation (Representative Photo by mikdam / Getty Images)

Asteroids that collide with a steeper angle usually leave a deeper, more symmetrical crater, and create an elevated structure in the center of the crater called central uplift. Asteroids that collide at a shallow angle also cause minimal damage. This is because they spend more time shedding matter passing through the Earth's atmosphere, as per Newsweek. Once it burns off mass during entry, the asteroid bodies break into smaller pieces before impact. The regional deformation of the area was not the only sign of an asteroid impact having occurred at Amelia Creek.

Mt. Sonder from Hilltop Lookout at Sunrise. West Macdonnell Ranges, Northern Territory (Representative Photo by Posnov / Getty Images)
Mt. Sonder from Hilltop Lookout at Sunrise. West Macdonnell Ranges, Northern Territory (Representative Photo by Posnov / Getty Images)

Geologists have found that since the 1980s, fan-shaped fractures were created in quartz-based rocks in the area when shock waves traveled through the rocks. These features are known as "shatter cones." "All of the area's shatter cones are distributed in a crescent-like pattern mainly to the south of the crater, another sign that the asteroid struck at a shallow angle," NASA explained about their satellite observations. The existence of these unique features suggests that the rocks were subjected to pressures ranging between 290,000 – 4,350,000 pounds per square inch.

Meteors disintegrate while entering Earth's blue atmosphere (Representative Photo by ronib1979 / Getty Images)
Meteors disintegrate while entering Earth's blue atmosphere (Representative Photo by ronib1979 / Getty Images)

As experts study the impact of Amelia Creek, it is to be observed that the aftermath was felt on a regional scale. There is evidence from the same Ediacaran Period which suggests two other impacts that were more devastating, probably carrying global effects. The space agency explained that these collisions led to changes in global climate and ocean chemistry. They had a vast impact on natural habitats, including the extinction of a unique species of microfossils known as the "acritarchs." This evidence added to the reputation of asteroids and their impacts.

MORE ON STAR LUST
Astronomers have been trying to find the electric field around the planet for years and now, they may finally have a clue about its existence.
4 days ago
Space really is the final frontier as there are unknown elements that float in the nothingness, a new one adds to the list of mysteries.
5 days ago
Asteroid collisions are significant events in the list of space anomalies, and the recent discovery shows how they change Earth's landscape.
7 days ago
NASA’s Mars rover might just carry with it the answers to life on the planet, both past and future.
Mar 22, 2025
Global shifts in environmental factors could be an indication of future consequences as a global rise in water levels suggests glacial changes.
Mar 20, 2025
Living in space may seem like bliss from afar to many, but its toll on the human body cannot be discounted.
Mar 11, 2025
After the astronauts perform extravehicular activities (EVAs), once they return to the spacecraft, their colleagues can take a whiff of it.
Mar 10, 2025
The fall site is heavily forested, making it extremely challenging for scientists to locate meteorites.
Mar 10, 2025
In the absence of atmospheric pressure, a space traveler without a protection suit would undergo rapid and significant bodily changes.
Mar 6, 2025
Comets, time capsules of primordial materials from 4.6 billion years ago, are explained here in detail, covering every type.
Dec 15, 2023
From the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to the present day, the American saga of liberty, innovation, and cultural evolution has unfolded within just one Plutonian year.
Dec 8, 2023
Take a look at the diverse imagery and unique characteristics of the eight extraterrestrial terrains where humanity has successfully deployed robotic explorers.
Nov 7, 2023
A common gift idea for that special astronomy lover in your life is to name a star after them, but can you really buy a star or is this a gimmick?
Nov 1, 2023
From Ganymede to Titan: Join us on a celestial journey as we detail the grandeur of the solar system's ten most massive moons.
Oct 30, 2023
Let’s explore the various theories and current science relating to what is “beyond” or “bigger” than the universe.
Oct 9, 2023
Unsurprisingly, the answer is not set in stone. Variables like the planet's position, spacecraft speed, trajectory, payload weight, and fuel efficiency come into play.
Sep 27, 2023
You pick up a strange-looking rock, its surface unlike anything you've seen before, and for a moment, you wonder: Could this be a fragment from space?
Sep 22, 2023
From understanding the initial indicators that differentiate a meteorite from a mere Earth rock to the nitty-gritty of working with specialized labs, my article will walk you through every step.
Sep 7, 2023
Navigate the world of meteorite selling with ease. Our guide on how to contact a meteorite buyer will help you through every step, from discovery to sale.
Aug 29, 2023
Learn about Mars, our solar system's fourth planet. Learn its unique characteristics, its orbital path, its interesting features, and more.
Aug 29, 2023