Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Originated from Deep Space Beyond Jupiter, Study Finds
An international team of scientists has confirmed that a carbonaceous asteroid, originating from beyond Jupiter, caused the mass extinction event 66 million years ago that wiped out approximately three-quarters of all plant and animal species on Earth, including non-avian dinosaurs. The impact site has been identified as the Chicxulub crater in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The asteroid, estimated to be 6-9 miles wide, collided with Earth at about 12 miles per second, releasing energy over a billion times higher than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The study, published in the journal Science, analyzed the debris from the impact and found high levels of platinum-group elements (PGEs), which are rare on Earth but common in meteorites. This analysis ruled out the possibility of the impactor being a comet or a result of volcanic activity. The presence of specific isotopes of ruthenium in the clay layer, consistent with those found in carbonaceous asteroids, further supported the conclusion. These findings help resolve long-standing debates regarding the origin and nature of the impactor and contribute to our understanding of Earth's geological history.
