I first saw this video a little while ago in a computer graphics class. We watched in on You Tube, but as most of you know the quality is pretty lackluster. Finally, the video reappeared on my radar screen on another blog with the terrific news that it has been posted in High Definition. The version that is embedded in this post is the standard definition version, but follow this link to the original You Tube page and click “Watch In HD” right below the video player.
In the computer graphics class that I originally viewed this in, we examined the quality of the fire and flame. Generally, digitally rendered fire and water are impossibly difficult to make look good. The sheer randomness and fluidity of both elements are challenging for computers to replicate. My favorite part in the video are the ripples that occur just as the asteroid impact the Earth. The scenes of burning cities are also pretty spectacular.
Throughout the history of the Earth, Terra Firma has actually experienced several major asteroid impacts. Evidence can be found all over the surface of our blue planet, most notably in sites like Siberia, Mexico, Australia and the Western U.S as recently as 1908. Such impacts are believed to have caused the end of the Dinosaurs.
So without further ado, I present the destruction of the Earth:
