I have a question about comet/asteroid/etc impacts

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An impact from a sufficiently large object could theoretically affect a planet's atmosphere, potentially ejecting gases. However, the consensus is that such impacts would not significantly diminish the atmosphere. The discussion also notes that while a large object could release gases bound in itself or the Earth, the overall effect on atmospheric composition would be minimal. The excitement surrounding the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission is also highlighted. Overall, while impacts can influence atmospheric conditions, they are unlikely to cause substantial atmospheric loss.
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Hi there,

So I'm curious to know if it might be possible for an object of sufficient size/mass to, when upon impact, hit with enough force to cause the planets atmosphere to diminish. It's less than a month now until the MSL reaches Mars...I'm pretty pretty excited :|
 
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A big object could eject some gas from the atmosphere, but I would not expect any significant effect from this. At the same time, it could release some gas which was bound in Earth or the asteroid before.
 

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