homehome Home chatchat Notifications


A map of every meteor strike since 2300 BC

The recent historical flyby of 2012 D14 – the largest asteroid ever to pass this close to Earth in recorded space observational history –  as well as the modest in size, but monumental in punch meteorite that exploded over Russia caused an whole frenzy around them on the web. Thing is, meteorites and asteroids have […]

Tibi Puiu
February 20, 2013 @ 2:01 pm

share Share

The recent historical flyby of 2012 D14 – the largest asteroid ever to pass this close to Earth in recorded space observational history –  as well as the modest in size, but monumental in punch meteorite that exploded over Russia caused an whole frenzy around them on the web.

meteor-map

Thing is, meteorites and asteroids have been flying by and colliding with Earth long before the internet was invented, to the surprise of some folks. Javier de la Torre, cofounder of geo software companies Vizzuality and CartoDB, showcases this idea perfectly with his interactive map of every meteor strike on Earth, those found at least, since 2300 BC.

Actual impact data collected from the Meteoritical Society was used and you can click on specific impact sites in order to see the size, location and year that the meteorite strike occurred. If you’re more interested to find out how the map was created, check out de la Torre’s  blog post on the subject.

Check out the map here.

As you can see, North America and Europe have been simply bombarded along the years more than every other area on Earth. However, that’s not to say that other regions of the world have been spared; simply put, not enough data was available.

share Share

Meet the world's rarest mineral. It was found only once

A single gemstone from Myanmar holds the title of Earth's rarest mineral.

A massive 8.8 earthquake just struck off Russia's coast and it is one of the strongest ever recorded

The earthquake in Kamchatka is the largest worldwide since 2011. Its location has been very seismically active in recent months.

Scientists Analyzed a Dinosaur’s Voice Box. They Found a Chirp, Not a Roar

A new fossil suggests dinosaurs may have sung before birds ever took flight

The 400-Year-Old, Million-Dollar Map That Put China at the Center of the World

In 1602, the Wanli Emperor of the Ming dynasty had a big task for his scholars: a map that would depict the entire world. The results was a monumental map that would forever change China’s understanding of its place in the world. Known as the Kunyu Wanguo Quantu (坤輿萬國全圖), or A Map of the Myriad […]

Humans Built So Many Dams, We’ve Shifted the Planet’s Poles

Massive reservoirs have nudged Earth’s axis by over a meter since 1835.

Ozzy Osbourne’s Genes Really Were Wired for Alcohol and Addiction

His genome held strange secrets: a turbocharged alcohol gene, rewired brain chemistry, and a slow-burn caffeine receptor.

A Sixth Ocean Is Forming as East Africa Splits Apart

In East Africa, tectonic forces are slowly splitting the continent, creating a future ocean basin.

The World’s Most "Useless" Inventions (That Are Actually Pretty Useful)

Every year, the Ig Nobel Prize is awarded to ten lucky winners. To qualify, you need to publish research in a peer-reviewed journal that is considered "improbable": studies that make people laugh and think at the same time.

NASA finally figures out what's up with those "Mars spiders"

They're not actual spiders, of course, but rather strange geological features.

Melting Glaciers May Unleash Hundreds of Dormant Volcanoes and Scientists Are Worried

Glacier retreat is triggering more explosive eruptions, with global consequences