The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs came from beyond Jupiter and was rich in carbon, according to Steven Goderis, a geochemistry research professor from the Free University of Brussels. As reported by Newsweek, this rare carbon-rich space rock holds key information about its chemical composition and origin.
Goderis explained that asteroids vary in composition depending on their location in the solar system. Carbonaceous asteroids, like the one that hit Earth, are typically found further out in space, beyond Jupiter. The rapid growth of Jupiter likely prevented materials from mixing between the inner and outer solar systems, he added.
When scientists examined samples from the impact site, they found something unique—this asteroid was unlike any other seen in the last 500 million years, especially when comparing ruthenium isotope ratios. These findings suggest an outer solar system origin, contradicting previous theories that the impactor might have been an icy comet.
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The full study was published in the journal Science.
