An object (such as a meteorite) which collides with another body.
〔主天文〕撞击物（如陨星）
Example sentencesExamples
Small impactors deliver meteorites, while large ones infrequently wreak global devastation.
Similar to the effects of a thick atmosphere, a vertical column of water would also inhibit the formation of impact craters from smaller impactors.
The impactor and comet will collide at 10.2km per second, releasing the energy equivalent of 4.4 tonnes of exploding TNT.
The close dates of the major impact basins suggested that the Moon experienced a late, heavy bombardment of large impactors around 3.8 to 4 billion years ago.
Although dramatic images of the impact may be sent to Earth in near-real time by the Deep Impact spacecraft and its impactor, the spacecraft themselves have limited remote sensing capability.
Definition of impactor in US English:
impactor
nounimˈpaktər
Astronomy
An object (such as a meteorite) which collides with another body.
〔主天文〕撞击物（如陨星）
Example sentencesExamples
Similar to the effects of a thick atmosphere, a vertical column of water would also inhibit the formation of impact craters from smaller impactors.
Although dramatic images of the impact may be sent to Earth in near-real time by the Deep Impact spacecraft and its impactor, the spacecraft themselves have limited remote sensing capability.
Small impactors deliver meteorites, while large ones infrequently wreak global devastation.
The impactor and comet will collide at 10.2km per second, releasing the energy equivalent of 4.4 tonnes of exploding TNT.
The close dates of the major impact basins suggested that the Moon experienced a late, heavy bombardment of large impactors around 3.8 to 4 billion years ago.