impactor
Thing that hits
An impactor is something that strikes or collides with a surface.
The term appears most often in astronomy, where an impactor is an asteroid, comet, or other celestial body that hits a planet or moon: The impactor that created the Chicxulub crater likely caused the dinosaur extinction.
In engineering, impactors are devices designed to deliver controlled strikes for testing or measurement.
Space debris reaching Earth
- asteroidSun-orbiting rocky mass
- cometIcy orbiting body
- bolideDetonating meteor, very bright
- fireballLuminous meteor or explosion
NEO · projectile · space rock · chondrite · iron meteorite · extraterrestrial · cosmic · meteoroid
Material forcibly discharged
- excavationAct of unearthing
- depressionProlonged low state
- basinConcave water receptacle
- rimCircular outer boundary
Forceful contact between objects
- strikeForceful impact or stoppage
- hitSuccessful contact or strike
- kineticRelating to motion
- momentumProduct of mass, velocity
velocity · energy · shockwave · force · pressure · acceleration · dynamics · hypervelocity
Speed control mechanism
- beamStructural support member
- particlesMinute pieces of matter
- protonsPositive nuclear particles
- electronsNegative charges in atoms
ions · synchrotron · LHC · CERN · collision · scattering · target · bombardment
Tool for striking nails
pile driver · jackhammer · pneumatic · hydraulic · tamper · compactor · piston · mechanism
Late-erupting back molar
- molarRear crushing tooth
- extractionAct of removing
- oral surgeryMedical procedures in mouth
- eruptionViolent sudden release
jaw · mandible · dentistry · orthodontic
meteorite
Space debris reaching Earth
fireball · NEO · projectile · space rock · chondrite · iron meteorite · extraterrestrial · cosmic · meteoroid · fragment
ejecta
Material forcibly discharged
- excavationAct of unearthing
- depressionProlonged low state
- basinConcave water receptacle
rim · lunar · mare · regolith · ground zero · Sudbury · breccia
collision
Forceful contact between objects
momentum · velocity · energy · shockwave · force · pressure · acceleration · dynamics · hypervelocity · terminal
accelerator
Speed control mechanism
electrons · ions · synchrotron · LHC · CERN · collision · scattering · target · bombardment · high-energy
hammer
Tool for striking nails
ram · pile driver · jackhammer · pneumatic · hydraulic · tamper · compactor · piston · mechanism · industrial
wisdom tooth
Late-erupting back molar
- molarRear crushing tooth
- extractionAct of removing
- oral surgeryMedical procedures in mouth
eruption · jaw · mandible · dentistry · orthodontic
- space rocksasteroid, asteroids, meteorites, meteorite, meteors
- orthopedic toolsbone saw, curette, reamer, broach, extractor
- grindersgrinder, angle grinder, bench grinder, burr grinder, coffee grinder
- particle sizingd10, sieving, sizing, grain size, size range
- community impactEffect on local residents
- deforestation impactsConsequences of removing tree cover
- high impactHaving strong effect
- educational impactEffect of teaching
- environmental impactEffect on natural systems
- emotional impactPower to stir feelings
impact, impacts, impacted, impacting, impactful, high-impact, low-impact, impaction