The infamous and deadly asteroid that slammed into Earth some 66 million years ago and wiped out an entire species of dinosaurs has its origin in our solar system, beyond Jupiter to be precise.

along with asteroid-specific minerals like iridium at the crater in Chicxulub, Mexico -- all but proving the asteroid theory. And now scientists have figured out where this dinosaur-killing rock ...

The Alvarezes hypothesized that the iridium, which was in a very even, widespread distribution (not just in Italy), was the result of a giant asteroid that hit Earth, sending smoke, dust ...

Rare Metal The metal iridium, which is similar to platinum ... these quartz crystals could only have been caused by a massive asteroid or comet impact. The pattern is prevalent in quartz found ...

Scientists can readily detect this Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg or K-P) mass extinction in the geological record thanks to a thin layer of pale stone enriched in iridium, a chemical element released ...