The(Dinosaur) new findings come from studying sediment samples from the time between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, when the asteroid hit and caused the mass extinction .
For decades, scientists have debated the origins of the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. A new study published in Science has provided some surprising new information. Researchers used a new method to show that the asteroid, which hit Earth 66 million years ago and caused a major extinction event, actually formed beyond Jupiter’s orbit. The study also disproves the idea that the asteroid was a comet.
New Analysis Reveals Chicxulub Impact Asteroid Was a C-Type, Originating Beyond Jupiter(Dinosaur)
New research has examined sediment from the time of the Chicxulub asteroid impact, which occurred between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. Scientists looked at the isotopes of ruthenium, a rare element on Earth but common in asteroids. By studying these isotopes in the impact debris, they confirmed that the ruthenium came entirely from the asteroid.
The lab in Cologne that conducted this study is one of the few capable of making these precise measurements, and it was the first time they were used on impact debris.
Ruthenium isotopes help scientists determine the type of asteroid involved. There are two main types: C-type (carbon-rich) asteroids from the outer solar system and S-type (silicate) asteroids from the inner solar system. This study confirms that the Chicxulub asteroid was a C-type, which formed beyond Jupiter.
While earlier studies had suggested this, they were less certain. Most meteorites that reach Earth are S-type, so this finding is significant.
However, it’s not clear where exactly the Chicxulub asteroid was just before it hit Earth. It might have traveled through the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, before arriving at our planet.
Study Rules Out Comet as Chicxulub Impactor, Confirms C-Type Asteroid Origin
The study has ruled out the idea that the Chicxulub impactor was a comet, which is a mix of ice and rock from the outer solar system. A 2021 study had suggested this, but new analysis shows the impactor was very different from known comets.
The research offers two main benefits. First, understanding the types of asteroids that have hit Earth over the past 4.5 billion years might help solve the mystery of where Earth’s water came from. Scientists think water might have arrived on Earth through asteroids like the C-type one that hit 66 million years ago.
Second, studying past asteroid impacts can help us prepare for future threats. If we find that past mass extinctions were caused by C-type asteroids, we need to be cautious about any future C-type asteroids that might cross Earth’s path, as they could pose a serious risk.
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