The flaming space rock that slammed into Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs struck at the worst possible angle, new research suggests. Colliding with an enormous, fast-moving cosmic projectile would have been disastrous under just about any circumstances, but it also hit the planet at a steep angle, causing the deadliest possible outcome by releasing much more gas and pulverised rock than it would have with a shallower approach.
The angle at which the asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago played a large role in the demise of the dinosaurs
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Scientists modelled the path of the meteor as it hurtled towards Earth, creating the first 3D simulations to trace the event from start to finish. The asteroid closed in on its target from the northeast and struck at an angle of about 60 degrees above the horizon.