The astronomers at Leicester Observatory have made a fascinating discovery about the migration of Jupiter in our Solar System, which they believe played a role in major explosions on Earth and Mars caused by collisions with celestial bodies Tethys and Theia. New research published in the scientific journal Science reveals that about 4.5 billion years ago, when the Earth was forming, Jupiter was situated in a region of interplanetary space where gravitational forces were causing planets and other bodies to move. While Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune migrated away from the system’s boundaries, Jupiter moved in the opposite direction, influencing the migration of objects in the inner part of the Solar System.

The study focused on enstatite chondrites, a type of meteorite composed of rare minerals and enstatite, and found that they contain similar materials to those found on Earth. This suggests a connection between Earth and enstatite chondrites, which are believed to originate from the same primordial substance. However, parts of the enstatite chondrite parent body have also been discovered in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, indicating that they have experienced displacement in the past. Scientists propose that the migration of Jupiter could have caused this fragmentation and scattering of enstatite chondrites throughout space.

Astronomers estimate that Jupiter’s migration occurred about 60-100 million years after the formation of the Solar System, during which time Earth also migrated towards Tethys. This interconnection suggests that the disturbances caused by the collisions with Tethys and Theia are linked to the migration events. The research was sourced from NEWS.am.