New Museum Exhibit Spotlights the Asteroid that Reshaped Life on Earth

The American Museum of Natural History is opening a major exhibition titled “Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs,” bringing visitors into the dramatic chain of events triggered when a Mount-Everest-sized asteroid slammed into Earth 66 million years ago.

Through fossils, full-scale models, digital simulations, and immersive environments, the exhibition traces how the impact wiped out dinosaurs, ocean reptiles, and 75% of all species, marking the most devastating day in half a billion years.

The show highlights not only destruction but also the explosive burst of evolution that followed, giving rise to mammals, rainforests, new ecosystems—ultimately setting the stage for humans to appear.

Curator Roger Benson calls it a story of extinction, creativity, and renewal, designed to help audiences understand Earth’s past, its ongoing changes, and the future of biodiversity.