Chemistry Shows Dinosaur Killing Asteroid Wasn’t From Around Here
Using advanced technology, scientists determined Earth’s most famous asteroid came from beyond our solar system
We humans rule the world now, but a different group of animals ruled long before us — the Dinosaurs. We Homo sapiens have been around for a few hundred thousand years, but the dinosaurs ruled for 140 million years. They likely would have reigned for millions more, but an asteroid smashing into Earth around 65 million years ago abruptly ended the dinosaur dynasty.
If there’s one thing we humans love, it’s a good story — and the dinosaurs have a great one. We’ve been piecing it together bit by bit ever since the first dinosaur fossil was documented in 1677. But despite how many species paleontologists identify or what we learn about them, it’s their demise that captures our imagination most. Now, researchers have more information about the asteroid responsible.
Chemistry of Asteroids
Before we get to the new research, let’s review some basic science. Many objects are flying around space, including rocky asteroids and icy comets. Then there are meteors and meteorites, which are smaller chunks of either asteroids or comets that sometimes create shooting stars in…
