Almost All Meteorites That Hit Earth Are Coming From the Same Three Places, Scientists Discover

The supply of the asteroids.

Origin Story

Researchers have discovered that the overwhelming majority of meteorites that plummet by the Earth’s ambiance come from only three different asteroid families, that are teams of area rocks that resulted from the identical collision thousands and thousands of years in the past.

As detailed in a paper revealed within the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics final month, in addition to two papers revealed final week within the journal Nature, a world crew of researchers demonstrated that 70 p.c of all recognized meteorites that made it by the ambiance got here from simply three younger asteroid households.

These households — referred to as Karin, Koronos, and Massalia — have been fashioned round 5, seven, and 40 million years in the past respectively in our photo voltaic system’s essential asteroid belt. Massalia was recognized because the supply for a whopping 37 p.c of the meteorites.

Briefly, it is a gorgeous commonality that would permit us to hint again the origins of recently visited asteroids and different area rocks that would pose a threat to people on Earth.

Asteroid Ancestry

Younger asteroid households are the results of giant collisions, primarily within the asteroid belt. The following fragments may be despatched screaming by the photo voltaic system at extraordinarily quick speeds. A few of these make their approach all the way in which to Earth, a journey of a number of hundred million miles.

The scientists used pc simulations and a telescopic survey to disclose the ancestry of nearly all of these meteorites.

Prior to now, a mere six p.c of meteorites have been traced again to both the Moon, Mars, or Vesta, one of many largest objects within the photo voltaic system’s asteroid belt, whereas the origin of the remaining 94 p.c has been a thriller.

The researchers declare that the newest analysis implies that the origins of greater than 90 p.c of meteorites have now been recognized.

To determine the place the remaining ten p.c are coming from, the crew is now seeking to hone in on different younger asteroid households that have been fashioned underneath 50 million years in the past.

Extra on asteroids: Mysterious “Fifth Force” of Physics Could Be Influencing Asteroids Near Earth