There’s a reason the game Asteroids was so panic-inducing—giant space rocks hurtling toward Earth at 45 times the speed of a bullet are no small threat. When one of these celestial missiles strikes, the consequences can be nothing short of catastrophic. Some 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid collided with our planet. No fossils have ever been found above the impact layer, marking a clear divide in Earth’s history. The gigantic crater left behind remained hidden to science until the 1990s,

743K views · 10K reactions | From crazy explosions to fast striking asteroids and even massive ice ages, planet Earth has had its life flash before its eyes a few times. See more in this episode of History Countdown. | HISTORY | Facebook