Scientists Discover Asteroid That Once Destroyed Dinosaurs May Have Seeded Life on Mars and Outer Solar System Moons
An asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago may have unleashed a rain of meteorites throughout the solar system, carrying life all the way to Jupiter’s moon Europa.
According to a report in the journal Astrobiology, this conclusion was drawn by researchers from Pennsylvania State University after calculating the number of rocks ejected into space following the Chicxulub event in Mexico.
The fiery collision between the asteroid and Earth propelled life into the solar system – (Image: NASA)
Nearly 70 billion kilograms of rock were scattered into space, with approximately 20,000 kilograms landing on the surface of Europa.
Experts only considered rocks with diameters of 3 meters or more, as smaller rocks would not provide sufficient protection for organisms against solar radiation.
“Any mission searching for life on Titan or other moons of Jupiter will have to consider whether any organisms, if they exist, have an independent origin or are a branch of Earth’s life,” said lead researcher Rachel Worth.
While many rocks created during the impact remain in Earth’s orbit, others were pulled toward the central star or scattered throughout the solar system.
Experts estimate that around 360,000 rocks landed on Mars, and only 6 reached Europa.
The chance for life to survive during this journey is estimated to be 50%.
Of course, the potential for germination and thriving upon reaching the destination also depends on the environment of the celestial bodies.
