Astronomers identify origins of 70% of meteorites that hit Earth

Astronomers have identified the origins of about 70% of meteorites that strike Earth, tracing them to three main groups of asteroids in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This research involved analyzing meteorite compositions and conducting numerical simulations. The Massalia asteroid family accounts for 37% of known Earth meteorites, while the Karin and Koronis families contribute 33%. An additional 8% come from the Flora and Nysa families, and 6% from Vesta. Previously, only 6% of meteorites were linked to the moon, Mars, or Vesta. Researchers are still investigating the origins of the remaining 15% of meteorites. The study did not address the meteorite that caused the dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago.