According to an October 8 news release from the University of the Witwatersrand, a team of South African scientists and international collaborators has discovered unprecedented evidence of a comet entering the Earth’s atmosphere and exploding, creating a huge fireball that wiped out every life form in its path.  Scientists hope that, in addition to providing definitive proof of a comet striking Earth millions of years ago, the discovery will provide new insight into the formation of the solar system.

“Comets always visit our skies – they’re these dirty snowballs of ice mixed with dust – but never before in history has material from a comet ever been found on Earth,” said Professor David Block of the University of the Witwatersrand.