Space Hall · EXH-0012

What makes an impact crater larger?

Two impactors can leave very different craters even on the same world.

What should you look for?

Which condition changed the crater?

Impact energy increases with mass and with the square of speed, so faster objects can make much larger changes.

Impact angle and target material affect how energy spreads through the ground and therefore affect crater shape.

Results are relative classroom-model values, not predictions of a real asteroid strike.

Set mass, speed, angle, and surface. Run twice to keep the previous crater beside the new one.

Science source