Three newfangled studies have revealed the common origin of most of the meteorite that hit Earth , link up them to collision in the comparatively recent past .

Though the Earth does n’t make a spat about it , every day it is bombard with around 44,000 kilograms ( 48.5 tons ) of meteorological textile . Most of it burns up harmlessly in our ambiance , but the few that do make it to the surface can be examine , to take a look at their composition . This can recite us if they came from the same family of asteroids , for instance , if a big asteroid broke aside , with some of those fragments finally hit Earth .

Until now , only around 6 percentage of meteorite had been traced back to their informant . These were meteorites that came from Vesta ( thesecond declamatory asteroidin the Solar System ) , the Moon , and Mars , and are known as achondrite .

" Meteorites go down into two spacious categories , chondrites , which are almost pristine man of the early solar scheme before planets formed , and achondrites , which come up from differentiated bodies ; i.e. , planet or asteroids with layers of magnetic core , mantelpiece , and encrustation , " apaperon the topic explains .

Chondrites , which make up the vast majority of the remaining meteorites , may not search as exciting as achondrite , but are just as interesting scientifically . An international squad , led by the French National Centre for Scientific Research ( CNRS ) , the European Southern Observatory ( ESO ) , and Charles University , has now learn this stratum of meteorite in detail .

The squad find that 70 percent of all the meteors that fall to Earth come from three kinsperson of asteroid , cognize as Karin , Koronis , and Massalia . These smaller meteorite home were likely created by relatively recent – in astronomical condition – collision , occur around 5.8 million , 7.5 million , and 40 million year ago .

" These pause - ups , including the well - known Karin house , took place in the prominent yet honest-to-goodness Koronis and Massalia family and are at the descent of the dominance of H and L average chondrite among meteorite dusk , " another squad explains in theirpaper .

" These young families are distinguished among all main whang asteroid by having a uniquely high abundance of small fragments . Their size of it – frequency statistical distribution remained steep for a few tens of meg of old age , exceeding temporarily the product of metre - sized fragments by the largest previous asteroid kinfolk ( for example , Flora and Vesta ) . "

Of finical sake is theMassaliafamily of asteroid , which answer for for over 20 percent of meteorite fall today .

" Studies of micrometeor in mid - Ordovician limestone and shock craters on Earth indicate that our planet witnessed a massive infall of average L chondrite material about 466 million geezerhood ago that may have been at the origin of an Ordovician internal-combustion engine age and major upset in biodiversity , " one squad explain in theirpaper . " The separation of a gravid asteroid in the master rap is the likely drive of this monumental infall . "

While Karin , Koronis , and Massalia make up most of the numeral of meteorite , larger , more intimidating near - earth object ( NEOs ) were found to have their line of descent elsewhere .

" For klick - sized NEOs , our theoretical account indicates that most of them originate from just two families : Polana and Euphrosyne , " one squad explained in theirpaper . " On the other hand , the flux of metre - sized carbonaceous chondrites is dominated by just one family : Veritas . "

contemplate these families of asteroid will help us image out , among other things , the likeliness of Earth beingbombardedby them . enceinte asteroid collisions that took place more recently , for example , may position more of a scourge , prompting more collisions and chaos that could allow fragments to run away from the asteroid knock and put them on a collision course with Earth .

Though jumping from only 7 percent of meteorites being trace to their line to 90 percent is an impressive leap forward , 10 percentage remain unnamed . The team plans to continue their work , focus on young families of asteroid formed less than 50 million age ago .

The study are publish inAstronomy & Astrophysics , Nature , andNature .