What size crater would be formed if the impactor hit the surface of the Earth (into sand) at 23,000 MPH?
Using PI scaling, the estimated angle of approach (25 degrees from the horizontal), a mass of 370 kg, velocity of impact 10.2 km/sec and a sand target (similar to that for Tempel 1), a crater of about 10 m in size would be formed if the impact were to have occurred on the Earth. So why would the size of the crater differ on the comet than one formed under similar conditions on Earth? Not everything is the same! The Earth is far more massive and has an atmosphere. Read through Cratering for more information. You can also take a look at Dr. Melosh’s ‘Crater’ Routine and calculate the size of craters using different projectile descriptors, impact conditions, and target descriptions.
Using PI scaling, the estimated angle of approach (25 degrees from the horizontal), a mass of 370 kg, velocity of impact 10.2 km/sec and a sand target (similar to that for Tempel 1), a crater of about 10 m in size would be formed if the impact were to have occurred on the Earth. So why would the size of the crater differ on the comet than one formed under similar conditions on Earth? Not everything is the same! The Earth is far more massive and has an atmosphere. Read through Cratering for more information. You can also take a look at Dr. Melosh’s ‘Crater’ Routine and calculate the size of craters using different projectile descriptors, impact conditions, and target descriptions.
