Skip to main content
1 of 3
Robert
  • 955
  • 1
  • 6
  • 6

Could the dinosaurs have seen the asteroid that killed them?

This comic strip has been making its way around the internet: Carl and Steve dinosaur comic

The final panel (which was added later) is clearly implying that Steve is watching the asteroid or comet that would eventually create the Chicxulub crater and cause the K-T extinction event.

Obviously it's just a joke, but I'm curious about the astronomy involved. Wikipedia says the Chicxulub impactor is thought to have been a 10-15 km diameter object. Would it have been visible to a (human) naked eye before impact? And if so, would it have appeared like a star that grew brighter and brighter each night?

Robert
  • 955
  • 1
  • 6
  • 6