Meteorites are space rocks that have fallen to Earth since the planet formed 4.5 billion years ago. Some cause little damage, but others can lead to catastrophic events. Recent research has helped scientists identify the origins of many meteorites. They found that about 70% of known meteorites come from three groups of asteroids in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Astronomers used computer simulations to model how these asteroid families formed and evolved. These families consist of asteroids with similar orbits created by collisions that sent fragments into space, some of which eventually struck Earth. Miroslav Brož, an astronomer from Charles University, noted that 37% of known meteorites are L chondrites from the Massalia asteroid family. The Karin and Koronis families account for 33% of meteorites known as H chondrites. Additionally, 8% of Earth’s meteorites come from the Flora and Nysa families, while about 6% originated from the asteroid Vesta. Although this research did not address the meteorite that caused the dinosaurs’ extinction 66 million years ago, another study suggests it may have come from beyond Jupiter. NASA’s 2022 DART mission showed that a spacecraft can change an asteroid’s path, enhancing Earth’s protection from impacts.