A comet likely grazed the Sun ~12,800 years ago, ejected a massive flare, fragmented, and struck Earth in multiple locations. Evidence includes microspherules and similarities to the KT boundary. Fragments keep returning—the Taurid Stream meteor still produces thousands of hourly sightings, with the last major piece arriving around AD 1280, possibly inspiring King Arthur legends.
Younger Dryas impact theory involves comet fragmentation
Key facts
- Younger Dryas impact event occurred approximately 12,800 years ago
- Multiple theories exist: comet impact, solar flare, or combined event
- Microspherules and KT boundary provide evidence of impacts
- A comet likely came close to the Sun which ejected a major flare, fragmenting the comet and causing multiple impacts on Earth
- Fragments continue returning to Earth because they maintain the same orbital speed
- The Tarid Stream meteor recorded thousands of sightings per hour
- The last Younger Dryas fragment arrived around AD 1280, possibly connected to the King Arthur legend
Sources
Younger Dryas impact hypothesis - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
It has been debunked for lack of evidence for any such impact by many scientific studies by relevant experts across geology, astronomy, and other related ...
Great balls of fire! - USC News & Events | University of South Carolinasc.edu
This investigation, for the first time, produced evidence — sourced directly from ocean cores — that a comet impact could have triggered an ...
Did a comet burst crash Earth's climate 12,800 years ago? - EarthSkyearthsky.org
Microscopic shocked quartz grains with fissures filled with melt glass. Such particles are evidence for a cometary burst in Earth's atmosphere.
Evidence of World-Changing Comet Explosion 12,800 Years Ago ...sciencealert.com
Microscopic grains of alien dust buried in the sediment at the bottom of the ocean could be evidence of a comet that exploded in Earth's ...
New study reveals comet airburst evidence from 12,800 years agophys.org
The idea proposes that a fragmented comet smashed into the Earth's atmosphere 12800 years ago, causing a widespread climatic shift that, among .
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