Study of previous research suggests there is a swarm of large asteroids hidden in the Taurid complex

A pair of space scientists, one with the University of Antioquia, the other with the University of Salento, have found evidence of a swarm of large asteroids hidden in the Taurid complex. Ignacio Ferrín and Vincenzo Orofino wrote an article describing their findings in the journal Planetary and Space Sciences.

Every year in late October, an event known as the Taurid Meteor Shower occurs, giving those who venture into dark spaces the opportunity to witness a multitude of shooting stars. Previous research has shown that this is actually debris left behind by Encke’s comet when it passes relatively close to the sun each year. In this new effort, Ferrín and Orofino claim to have found evidence of a swarm of large asteroids lurking in the Taurid complex. They further suggest that the asteroid swarm is part of a field of debris left by a very large, as yet unnamed comet, the one that gave birth to Encke’s comet.

While studying the Taurid complex, researchers discovered two asteroids that had never been seen before. Measurements of the two space rocks showed that they were 200 and 300 meters in diameter, respectively, which is too large to be mere debris from Encke’s comet. This made them wonder if there might be other large asteroids hidden in the complex. To find out, they scanned articles published on the Taurid complex and found mention of a total of 88 asteroids that appeared too large to belong to the Encke debris field. As part of their work, they also looked for measurements of reflected light from asteroids, which helped them compare the paths taken by asteroids to see if they matched those of debris from Encke’s Comet.

The data showed evidence of large asteroids and Encke’s comet (and therefore its debris) from a shared comet, and both likely appeared around 20,000 years ago. The researchers also write that large asteroids could pose a threat to Earth, noting that the Tunguska event has been linked to the Taurid complex, as has the disappearance of some ancient cultures during the Younger Dryas.

© 2021 Science X Network