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Astronomers at Harvard University in the United States hope to be one step closer to finding out where the space object that struck Earth 66 million years ago came from and wreaked havoc on life, including dinosaurs, according to a study published this week in the journal Scientific reports of nature.
For decades Scientists have discussed the appearance of an asteroid that formed the abyss once it hit our planet சிக்க்சுலப், In the current territory of Yucatan (Mexico), Depression with a width of more than 149 km and a depth of 19 km.
Through statistical analysis and gravity simulations, researchers Amir Siraj and Avi Lope suggested that the person responsible for the catastrophe may have been a comet, formed from the Ort cloud, which flew very close to the sun.
They explain that these icy spheres on the edge of the solar system could certainly be thrown away by the gravitational force exerted by Jupiter. “The solar system acts like a kind of pinball machine,” Siraj said.
As long-term comets approach the sun, the star’s massive wave forces break them into rocks, increasing the chance that one of these fragments will hit Earth. Researchers say that their work provides a “satisfactory explanation” for the extinction of dinosaurs.
Experts also point out that the evidence found in the Cixula abyss indicates that the rock was made of carbonaceous chondrite. One theory is that between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, the celestial body came from the main belt, however, this type of chondrite is rare in these materials. But such material may be common in long-term comets, which supports the latest hypothesis.
“We often see small fragments coming from the Ort cloud to Earth,” Lope said, adding that he hopes long-term comet data and better figures will confirm his theory.
The authors believe that understanding what actually happened is not only important in solving a mystery in the history of the Earth, but will also be important if a similar event threatens the planet again.
(Taken RT espasol)
