Baptistina family
Encyclopedia
The Baptistina family is an asteroid family
that was likely produced by the breakup of an asteroid
170 km (105.6 mi) across 80 million years ago following an impact with a smaller body. The largest presumed remnant of this parent asteroid is 298 Baptistina
.
The Baptistina "family" may consist of uncommon carbonaceous chondrite
asteroids and meteoroid
s in similar orbits. Many mountain-sized fragments from the collision would have leaked into the inner solar system through orbital resonance
s with Mars
and Jupiter
, causing a prolonged series of asteroid impacts. Previously this collision was believed to have occurred about 160 million years ago, and many impacts between 100 and 50 million years ago were attributed to it. However, new data in 2011 from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
revised the date of the proposed collision which broke-up the parent asteroid to about 80 million years ago.
Among the notable asteroid impacts previously attributed to the Baptistina family was the K/T impactor
, however this is highty unlikely if the new data revising the date of collision of the parent object to 80 million years ago, as it typically takes many tens of millions of years for an asteroid to achieve resonance and collide with an inner planet. In 2007, it was proposed that Chromium
concentrations in 65-million-year-old sediment layers at the K–T boundary
on Earth suggested that the impactor
that gouged out Chicxulub Crater
belonged to this group. Concerns had been raised regarding the reputed link, in part because very few solid observational constraints exist of the asteroid or family. Indeed, it was recently discovered that 298 Baptistina does not share the same chemical signature as the source of the K–T boundary
. It has been speculated that the impactor that produced the lunar crater Tycho
108 million years ago was also a member of the group, although with the revised date of the breakup of the parent body this could not be possible.
Asteroid family
An asteroid family is a population of asteroids that share similar proper orbital elements, such as semimajor axis, eccentricity, and orbital inclination. The members of the families are thought to be fragments of past asteroid collisions...
that was likely produced by the breakup of an asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
170 km (105.6 mi) across 80 million years ago following an impact with a smaller body. The largest presumed remnant of this parent asteroid is 298 Baptistina
298 Baptistina
298 Baptistina is a main belt asteroid, part of the Baptistina family of asteroids. It was discovered on September 9, 1890 by Auguste Charlois of Nice. The reason for its name is unknown. It measures around 13–30 km in diameter. Although it has an orbit similar to the Flora family...
.
The Baptistina "family" may consist of uncommon carbonaceous chondrite
Carbonaceous chondrite
Carbonaceous chondrites or C chondrites are a class of chondritic meteorites comprising at least 7 known groups and many ungrouped meteorites. They include some of the most primitive known meteorites...
asteroids and meteoroid
Meteoroid
A meteoroid is a sand- to boulder-sized particle of debris in the Solar System. The visible path of a meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere is called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star or falling star. If a meteoroid reaches the ground and survives impact, then it is called a meteorite...
s in similar orbits. Many mountain-sized fragments from the collision would have leaked into the inner solar system through orbital resonance
Orbital resonance
In celestial mechanics, an orbital resonance occurs when two orbiting bodies exert a regular, periodic gravitational influence on each other, usually due to their orbital periods being related by a ratio of two small integers. Orbital resonances greatly enhance the mutual gravitational influence of...
s with Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, causing a prolonged series of asteroid impacts. Previously this collision was believed to have occurred about 160 million years ago, and many impacts between 100 and 50 million years ago were attributed to it. However, new data in 2011 from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer is a NASA infrared-wavelength astronomical space telescope launched on December 14, 2009, and decommissioned/hibernated on February 17, 2011 when its transmitter was turned off...
revised the date of the proposed collision which broke-up the parent asteroid to about 80 million years ago.
Among the notable asteroid impacts previously attributed to the Baptistina family was the K/T impactor
Chicxulub Crater
The Chicxulub crater is an ancient impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Its center is located near the town of Chicxulub, after which the crater is named...
, however this is highty unlikely if the new data revising the date of collision of the parent object to 80 million years ago, as it typically takes many tens of millions of years for an asteroid to achieve resonance and collide with an inner planet. In 2007, it was proposed that Chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
concentrations in 65-million-year-old sediment layers at the K–T boundary
K–T boundary
The K–T boundary is a geological signature, usually a thin band, dated to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma ago. K is the traditional abbreviation for the Cretaceous period, and T is the abbreviation for the Tertiary period...
on Earth suggested that the impactor
Impact event
An impact event is the collision of a large meteorite, asteroid, comet, or other celestial object with the Earth or another planet. Throughout recorded history, hundreds of minor impact events have been reported, with some occurrences causing deaths, injuries, property damage or other significant...
that gouged out Chicxulub Crater
Chicxulub Crater
The Chicxulub crater is an ancient impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Its center is located near the town of Chicxulub, after which the crater is named...
belonged to this group. Concerns had been raised regarding the reputed link, in part because very few solid observational constraints exist of the asteroid or family. Indeed, it was recently discovered that 298 Baptistina does not share the same chemical signature as the source of the K–T boundary
K–T boundary
The K–T boundary is a geological signature, usually a thin band, dated to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma ago. K is the traditional abbreviation for the Cretaceous period, and T is the abbreviation for the Tertiary period...
. It has been speculated that the impactor that produced the lunar crater Tycho
Tycho (crater)
Tycho is a prominent lunar impact crater located in the southern lunar highlands, named after the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe . To the south is the crater Street; to the east is Pictet, and to the north-northeast is Sasserides. The surface around Tycho is replete with craters of various sizes,...
108 million years ago was also a member of the group, although with the revised date of the breakup of the parent body this could not be possible.
External links
- (BBC News) "Space pile-up 'condemned dinos'" 5 September 2007