Traces of an asteroid previously unknown to science have been discovered in Australia, Earth and Planetary Science Letters reports. The discovery was made by re-analyzing museum samples of natural glass - tectites - formed during space impacts. Specialists have identified a unique type of tectite, the age of which is approximately 11 million years, previously unrecorded.
Scientists compared them with tectites from the famous Australian placer deposit: those specimens are about 780 thousand years old and are widespread on Earth's surface; the new finds are approximately 15 times older and belong to a limited area. This indicates that they are the result of another cosmic event. At the same time, the exact crater from the impact has not yet been found.
Researchers emphasize that studying the frequency and power of ancient asteroid impacts is crucial for assessing future risks and developing planetary protection mechanisms. It should be recalled that this year it was reported that one of the largest asteroids approached the Earth and safely flew near the Moon at a distance of about 800 thousand km.
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