66 million years ago, a C-type asteroid from the outer solar system caused the extinction of dinosaurs.

66 million years ago, a rare carbonaceous asteroid, originating from beyond Jupiter in the outer solar system, caused the extinction of dinosaurs and a significant mass extinction event. Researchers from the University of Cologne analyzed ruthenium isotopes in rock samples from the event and found a match with isotopes found in carbonaceous meteorites, providing strong evidence that the asteroid was a C-type asteroid, composed mainly of carbon. The study not only confirms the asteroid's origin but also rules out the possibility of a comet as the impactor and provides evidence for the outer solar system origin of Earth's impactors during its final stages of accretion.

August 15, 2024
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