A History of Meteor Impacts and Their Effects on Earth's Population

Throughout history, meteors and meteorites have had an enormous impact (no pun intended. Ok, maybe a little intended) on people on Earth, on events on Earth, and even the Earth itself.

First, before this historical account begins, we need to have Meteors 101, how to tell the difference between meteors in all their forms. A meteoroid is a rock in space. They can be anywhere from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a house and much larger. A meteor is a meteoroid that has begun burning up in the atmosphere (also known as a shooting star). A meteorite is a meteor that did not burn completely in the atmosphere and has landed on Earth. A very large meteoroid is also known as an asteroid.

The meteorite that killed the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous Period is believed to have landed on the Yucatan Peninsula. Molten rock from the impact would most likely have landed up to two hundred miles away from the impact site. Dust from the meteorite would have covered the Earth, blocking the Sun's life-giving rays, and making the Earth's surface cold (this is the same effect that nuclear winter would have). When the debris settled, a layer of iridium (a mineral found in very small quantities on Earth, but is highly common in meteoroids) rich soil covered the globe, settling between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods in the geological layers in Earth's crust (the meteorite heralded the Tertiary Period). This layer is at its thickest nearby the enormous, almost imperceptible crater that is half on the Yucatan and half in the Caribbean.

The Black Stone in the sacred shrine in Mecca is said by Muslims to have been given to Adam when he was expelled from the Garden of Eden. It is supposed to have been of the purest white then, but has turned black over the centuries by the sins of those who have kissed it. Scientists believe that this stone is a meteorite, but because of its religious significance, it has not been tested, nor is it ever expected to be tested.