Simulations Reveal How Planetary Impacts Affect Atmosphere

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https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/ames/planetary-impact-simulations

Source:  By Frank Tavares, NASA. 

Excerpt: The histories of planets across our solar system and beyond are filled with collisions and transformations. New research is helping scientists understand how colossal impacts, like the one with Earth thought to have formed the Moon, are impacting the atmospheres of rocky planets.In the animation above, a Mars-like mass grazes an Earth-like mass, replicating the traditional theory for the impact that formed the Moon. Some atmosphere is lost, accompanied by a shockwave....   

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