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Asteroid That Wiped Out Dinosaurs 66 Million Years Ago Came from Beyond Jupiter, Scientists Find

Aug 16, 2024, 08:35 AM

Scientists have determined the origin of the asteroid that caused the mass extinction event 66 million years ago, which wiped out 75 percent of Earth's species, including the dinosaurs. The asteroid, known as the Chicxulub impactor, is believed to have originated from beyond the orbit of Jupiter and struck Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It is classified as a carbonaceous chondrite, a rare and ancient type of meteorite. This discovery, reported in the Science journal, resolves a long-standing debate about whether the object was a comet or an asteroid, providing new insights into its composition and trajectory. The findings suggest that the asteroid was a carbon-rich 'C-type' asteroid, which is consistent with its origin in the outer solar system.