Asteroid Impact Simulator: Chelyabinsk to Chicxulub
AsteroidSim models asteroid impacts at any scale using the Collins-Melosh-Marcus scaling laws. Crater formation, airbursts, seismic shock, thermal radiation. Pick a size, pick an angle, click anywhere on Earth. Free to explore, $29.99 lifetime for full extinction-class scenarios.
Launch the interactive simulator →Real impact physics, from airburst to extinction
Small asteroids (under about 50m) typically don’t reach the surface — they airburst in the atmosphere, which is what happened over Chelyabinsk in 2013 and Tunguska in 1908. AsteroidSim models airburst altitude based on entry velocity, angle, and composition (stony, iron, carbonaceous). Larger impacts generate craters, with depth and diameter scaling according to published planetary science equations. Ocean impacts generate tsunamis. Land impacts generate seismic shock waves equivalent to multi-magnitude earthquakes.
The thermal radiation model is especially important for mid-size impacts (1-10km): these can ignite wildfires hundreds of kilometers from ground zero, which historically has been the primary cause of post-impact casualties. The simulator renders the thermal radius explicitly so you can see why surviving an impact isn’t just about being far from the crater.
From Chelyabinsk to Chicxulub in one tool
Run Chelyabinsk 2013: a 20m stony asteroid airbursting at 30km altitude, shattering windows across Russia but not reaching the ground. Run Tunguska 1908: a 60m body airbursting at 5-10km, flattening 2,000 square kilometers of Siberian forest. Run the Chicxulub impactor: a 10-15km asteroid striking the Yucatan 66 million years ago, ending the non-avian dinosaurs. The same interactive simulator handles all three correctly because it’s built on physics that scales.
Built on the science
The scaling laws are Collins-Melosh-Marcus (2005) — the standard equations used by planetary defense researchers, the Sentry impact risk table, and the NASA/ESA Planetary Defense Coordination Office. The atmospheric entry model follows Chyba-Thomas-Zahnle (1993). The seismic magnitude equivalent uses Schultz-Gault for crater-to-earthquake energy conversion. None of this is proprietary — it’s published, peer-reviewed, and applicable to any impact scenario.
Frequently asked questions
What size asteroids can I simulate?
Anything from small house-sized airbursts (Chelyabinsk 2013 scale, ~20m diameter) up to Chicxulub-class extinction events (10km+). The simulator scales crater size, seismic magnitude, thermal radiation, and atmospheric effects realistically across the full range.
What physics does it model?
The simulator uses Collins-Melosh-Marcus impact scaling laws — the same equations used by NASA and ESA planetary defense teams. Key outputs: crater diameter and depth, airburst altitude (for entering asteroids that don't reach the surface), seismic magnitude equivalent, thermal radiation radius, overpressure blast ring, and ejecta distribution. Angle of entry, velocity, and composition (stony, iron, icy) all affect the outputs.
Can I simulate at any location?
Yes. Click anywhere on Earth. Ocean impacts generate tsunami waves. Land impacts generate craters. Urban impacts show overlaid casualty estimates (population density from WorldPop). The simulator respects the physics of where you hit.
Is this for research or for fun?
Both. The models are accurate enough for educational and prep-research use — journalists have used similar tools to illustrate stories, classrooms use them for physics and planetary science lessons, and the asteroid-defense enthusiast community uses them to reason about deflection scenarios. It's not certified for actual NASA-grade impact assessment, but it's built on the same published literature.
How much does it cost?
Free tier covers impact diameters up to 5,000m — plenty for most scenarios including Tunguska and Chelyabinsk-class events. Pro ($12.99/yr or $29.99 lifetime) unlocks unlimited size including full extinction-class simulations. The All-Access bundle ($79 lifetime) covers AsteroidSim Pro plus every other map in the SimulationMaps suite.
$79 once. Every map. Forever.
AsteroidSim Pro alone is $29.99 lifetime. For $49 more, get Pro on every map in the suite — disasters, volcanoes, shipwrecks, UFOs, climate — plus every new map we ship next.
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