Millions of years ago, Earth had rings similar to Saturn’s, according to a new study.
Saturn, the second-largest planet in our solar system, is known for its rings. However, research from Australia’s Monash University reveals that Earth also had similar rings millions of years ago.
The study suggests that debris around Earth formed Saturn-like rings, which possibly affected our planet’s climate.
The research examined craters formed about 460 million years ago. Scientists found that these craters were created by fragments of space rocks from a ring of debris that existed outside Earth’s orbit.
According to the study, these craters are located in a restricted area near the equator.
Typically, asteroids collide randomly, but the concentration of craters in this specific region led researchers to believe that asteroid collisions millions of years ago caused this phenomenon.
The study proposes that these asteroids fragmented due to some force and formed rings around Earth similar to Saturn’s.
Researchers noted that over time, material from these rings fell to Earth, creating the craters. The study suggests that the proximity of these craters to the equator might be due to the movement of tectonic plates.
The findings were published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
