Ep 3. It Fell From Space

It Fell From Space is the third episode of the fourth season of The Universe: Ancient Mysteries Solved. The episode focuses on the impact that asteroids and other celestial bodies have had on our planet throughout history.

The episode starts by examining the largest impact crater on Earth, the Vredefort crater in South Africa. Scientists believe that the crater was formed over two billion years ago when a meteorite weighing several billion tons struck the surface of the Earth at an incredible speed. The impact had devastating consequences on the planet, causing widespread fires and triggering earthquakes and tsunamis.

The show then moves on to discuss more recent impacts, such as the Tunguska event of 1908. This mysterious explosion occurred in Siberia and is believed to have been caused by a comet or asteroid entering the Earth's atmosphere. The explosion was so powerful that it flattened trees over an area of 2,000 square kilometers, but left no impact crater. The episode investigates the evidence for and against a range of different explanations for the Tunguska event, including a black hole, an antimatter meteor and a UFO crash.

The episode also explores the impact that asteroids and comets have had on life on Earth. The Chicxulub crater in Mexico is one of the most famous impact craters in the world, thanks to its association with the extinction of the dinosaurs. The show looks at the evidence that suggests that a six-mile-wide asteroid struck the Earth around 66 million years ago, leading to a mass extinction event that wiped out around 75% of all life on the planet.

The show then moves on to examine the impact that smaller asteroids and comets have on Earth. While these impacts might not cause mass extinctions, they can still cause significant damage. The episode looks at the Chelyabinsk event of 2013, in which a 66-foot-wide asteroid entered the Earth's atmosphere and exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia. The explosion caused widespread damage and injured over 1,500 people.

The episode concludes by exploring the ways in which scientists are working to protect Earth from future asteroid impacts. One approach is to try and deflect asteroids away from Earth using a range of techniques, including nuclear explosions. The episode looks at the evidence for and against this approach, and investigates some of the challenges involved with this method of asteroid deflection.

Overall, It Fell From Space is a fascinating episode that explores the profound impact that asteroids and comets have had on our planet throughout history. By investigating the evidence for and against a range of different theories and hypotheses, the episode provides a balanced and informative look at this important topic.