Asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs formed outside Jupiter, study says

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A study has revealed that the asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs originated farther in the solar system than previously thought.

A new study published in the journal Science has revealed that asteroid The impact that hit Earth and caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago originated in the area Solar System Further than previously thought.

Researchers at the University of Cologne in Germany used a new technique to analyze sediment samples from the time of the impact and concluded that the celestial body formed outside the orbit of Jupiter.

A team of scientists analyzed Ruthenium isotopes It is found in samples, and is a rare element on Earth, but common in asteroids.

By comparing the isotopic composition of the material in the sediments with that of different types of asteroids, the researchers determined that the object that impacted Earth was a C-type asteroid, rich in carbon and typical of Earth’s outer reaches. Solar system.

“Our laboratory in Cologne is one of the few in the world capable of making these measurements,” Mario Fischer-Gudi, lead author of the study, said in a statement. “This is the first time this technique has been applied to layers of debris.”

However, according to the researcher, it is not possible to be sure where the asteroid was hidden before it collided with Earth. According to Fisher Good, it is likely that after its formation it stopped in the asteroid belt located between Mars and Earth. Jupiter And where most meteorites originate.

The researchers also ruled out the possibility that the body that caused the dinosaurs’ extinction was a comet. Previous analyses suggested this possibility, but the new data suggest that the asteroid’s chemical composition is more consistent with that of C-type asteroids.

asteroid

66 million years ago, the giant asteroid Chicxulub And while it was colliding with what is now the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Many studies indicate that this event led to a mass extinction that wiped out three-quarters of all species, including nearly all dinosaurs.

A study suggests that dust left behind by the impact blocked light and caused temperatures to drop by 15 degrees Celsius, killing the dinosaurs.