Scientists have made a significant discovery regarding the origins of meteorites, revealing that around 70 per cent of all meteorites come from just three families. These families were formed as a result of collisions in the asteroid belt, with one occurring 5.8 million years ago, another 7.5 million years ago, and the third 40 million years ago. The Massalia family, which is one of these families, alone accounts for 37 per cent of asteroids.
The relatively young age of these families has led to the abundance of fragments left behind, which continue to float around in space. Due to their high speed, these fragments can easily escape the asteroid belt, potentially heading towards Earth. By identifying the origin of these families, researchers have now determined the source of over 90 per cent of meteorites.
This discovery also enables scientists to trace the origins of kilometre-sized asteroids that pose a threat to Earth, a focus of recent space missions. Despite this progress, the origins of the remaining 10 per cent of meteorites remain unknown. Scientists aim to conduct further research on these asteroids, particularly focusing on younger families that may account for this remaining percentage.
The breakthrough was achieved through a comprehensive survey of major meteorite families in the asteroid belt, along with the use of computer simulations to understand their collision patterns and movements. The findings have been detailed in several new papers, including one published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics last month, and two in Nature today.
This groundbreaking research sheds light on the complex origins of meteorites and highlights the ongoing quest to uncover the mysteries of our solar system.