Where did the dinosaur-killing asteroid go? Scientists reveal clues

It is believed that about 66 million years ago, a 12-kilometre-wide asteroid, moving at 43,000 km/h, struck Earth, causing one of the most spectacular extinction scenarios in earth's history. The massive impact brought an end to the age of dinosaurs, leaving behind only their bird descendants. Scientists estimate the collision released unimaginable energy, approximating thousands of nuclear explosions. It also shot dust and debris into the air, creating an iridium-rich layer, a rare element on Earth but found plentifully in asteroids. This "iridium anomaly" was to become the central proof for connecting the impact to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

What Clues Did the Impact Leave Behind?
The asteroid left behind a mark which continues to influence our world: the Chicxulub crater in Mexico. Stretching around 180 kilometres wide and 20 kilometres deep, this huge edifice is where the collision took place. Sediment buried most of the crater over millions of years, but its rim can be seen today as a series of sinkholes. The impact released a tsunami close to a mile tall, surging across oceans at 143 km/h. Ginormous megaripples, five-storey buildings tall, remain hidden under Louisiana's seafloor, retaining records of the disaster.

How Did the Collision Eradicate Life on Earth?
The explosion killed millions of creatures outright, but the aftermath was even more deadly. Acid rain flowed from the heavens, and global wildfires raged. A thick cloud of dust obscured the sun, chilling the planet and stopping photosynthesis. As the food web unraveled, around 75% of Earth's species went extinct, along with most dinosaurs. Scientists call the energy unleashed a nuclear war fought thousands of times over. Thin layers of asteroid debris preserved today on continents remain silent witnesses to the day an ancient world came to its end.

What More Could Scientists Learn?
So far, only a sesame-seed-sized piece of the asteroid has been recovered, found within a core sample off Hawaii. Should bigger pieces be discovered, they would make possible information on the extreme pressures and temperatures the asteroid was exposed to. Scientists are still examining the Chicxulub impact and learning how one event rewrote life on Earth and paved the way for mammals and ultimately humans  to flourish.