Asteroid exploded in Russia in 2013: 'Death' returned after 4.5 billion years

The Chelyabinsk meteorite that caused horror when it exploded over Russia in 2013 has just been proven to be involved in a giant collision that shattered the Earth, forming the Moon.

Research led by geologist Craig Walton from the University of Cambridge (UK) examined the phosphate minerals in the Chelyabinsk meteorite and found that a collision from 4.5 billion years ago broke the minerals. broken up into small pieces and subjected to high heat, then continued to experience a smaller impact 50 million years ago.

In particular, the collision 4.5 years ago may have been a collision with Earth, when this meteorite still belonged to a larger parent body.

Phosphate crystals in the Chelyabinsk . meteorite

Previous studies have shown that there was a series of high-energy collisions between the Earth and celestial bodies nearly 4.5 billion years ago, at most 4.48 to 4.44 billion years ago. Science Alert said.

These collisions are caused by many large and small objects, including a planet the size of Mars. The Earth broke apart many times, the material from the young planet mixed with the material from the attackers, partly stayed on the ground, partly flew into space and gradually stabilized in orbit, gradually gathering into The Moon, others "escaped" into space, into meteorites, wandering asteroids.

Chelyabinsk's mother body is said to have also participated in the event. After the collision, Chelyabinsk was one of the "escapers" and a series of other space events brought this "son of death" back in 2013. Although Chelyabinsk exploded in the sky, the shock wave Its attack caused a lot of damage.

Chelyabinsk's mother-body collision with Earth, as well as a series of other ancient collisions, is thought to have been caused by the migrations of giant planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus. . They initially formed farther from the Sun but gradually moved closer, causing more gravitational perturbations in the inner part of the Solar System, home to the tiny rocky planets including Earth.

However, it is possible that all the terrible events of the early Solar System contributed to a habitable planet with life evolving steadily over billions of years.