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Astronomers at Harvard University in the United States believe they are one step closer to discovering where the space object that hit the Earth 66 million years ago and caused a mass extinction of species came from. , including dinosaurs, according to a study published this week in the journal Scientific reports of nature.
for decades scientists have debated the origin of the asteroid that when it hit our planet formed the crater of Chicxulub, In the present territory of Yucatan (Mexico), Depression that has an extension of more than 149 kilometers in width and 19 kilometers in depth.
Through statistical analysis and gravitational simulations, researchers Amir Siraj and Avi Loeb have proposed that the person responsible for the catastrophe may have been a star, originating in the Oort cloud, which flew too close to the Sun.
These icy spheres on the edge of the solar system can be deflected from their course by the gravitational field exerted by Jupiter, they explain. “The solar system acts like a kind of pinball machine,” Siraj noted.
As long-period stars approach the Sun, the star’s immense tidal forces can break into pieces of rock, increasing the likelihood that one of these fragments will hit Earth. The researchers argue that their work provides “a satisfactory explanation” that one of these objects may have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Specialists also mentioned that the evidence found in the Chicxulub crater indicates that the rock was composed of carbonaceous chondrite. One theory suggests that the celestial body came from the main belt, between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, but in these objects the presence of this type of chondrite is rare. But this material could be common in stars of prolonged periods, which supports the recent hypothesis.
“We should see more frequently small fragments coming to Earth from the Oort cloud,” Loeb said, adding that he hopes that by obtaining more data from long-period stars and better statistics can be validated. his theory.
The authors believe that understanding what really happened is not only important in solving a mystery of Earth’s history, but could be crucial in the event that a similar event threatens the planet again.
(Taken from RT Català)