How large asteroids must be to destroy a city, state, country, or the planet

asteroid space rock size impact effects illustration rob ludacer business insider 00013 Rod Ludacer/Business Insider

Scientists who study asteroids often say that Earth is drifting through a cosmic shooting gallery.

Some angry space rocks, like the recent Chelyabinsk meteorite that exploded over Russia, are big enough to shatter windows and crumble walls. Others, like the one that caused the Tunguska Event of 1908, can flatten entire cities. A handful can trigger global extinctions, like the asteroid that smashed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago.

But how big of an asteroid does it take to damage cities, states, countries, and the planet?

On the fourth-annual World Asteroid Day (Saturday, June 30), we take a look at estimates from NASA, Purdue University's "Impact Earth" simulator, and other sources.

Images in this story come from a previously published video.

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