By look into the formation ages of lunar crater , a team of researchers led by Osaka University , Japan , have check that 800 million years ago the Earth - Moon system support a colossal blow .
Up to 50 quadrillion ( that ’s five followed by 16 zeros ) kilograms ( 110 quadrillion Lebanese pound ) of meteoroids ( small rocky consistence in place ) dunk into the two celestial objects . That is roughly 60 clip the amount of cloth involve in the Chicxulub impact – the asteroid outcome thatsealed the fateof non - avian dinosaur 66 million years ago .
Asteroid events on the scale of Chicxulub are predict to strike Earth every 100 million old age or so . However , craters from such an impact that come about more than 600 million years ago will have been wiped from the major planet due to erosion , volcanism , and other geologic processes . Therefore , to study impact from this timeframe astronomers turn to our revolve body – the Moon .
Using images beguile by the Japanese Space Agency ’s ( JAXA)lunar artificial satellite space vehicle Kaguya , the squad analyse 59 crater slap-up than 20 kilometre ( 12.4 mile ) in diameter . As described in a report published inNature Communications , the density of the surrounding littler craters formed from ejecta could then be used to approximate their ages . Of the 59 under investigation , the researchers detect that eight formed simultaneously , the first time this has been register .
The culprit of the impacts is a mammoth 100 - klick - wide ( 62 - mile - wide ) asteroid . Its fragment rained down on the Earth - Moon system as smaller meteor bombarding the satellite and its companion . Further analysis showed that the parent carbon - bear asteroid was no ordinary rock – it belong to the Eulalia family of asteroids – one of thefive familiesthat most asteroids can be line back to .
In fact , asteroid Ryugu , a sample of which iscurrently on its means back to Earth , is thought to be part of the same crime syndicate . It could even be a shard leave behind from this colossal asteroid rain shower 800 million years ago .
“ Our research results have provided a fresh perspective on earth scientific discipline and world-wide science , ” lead source Professor Kentaro Terada of Osaka University said in astatement . “ They will yield a all-inclusive range of positive gist in various research fields . ”
