Earth May Once Have Rings Like Saturn! Here’s Why

Recent research suggests that Earth may have once had a ring system similar to Saturn’s. Scientists believe that this ring system was formed by the breakup of an asteroid about 466 million years ago. This event coincided with a major meteorite impact around the Earth’s equatorial region. Researchers have suggested that the formation of the rings may have contributed to global cooling and may have led to one of the coldest periods in Earth’s history, the Shirnantian Ice Age.

Evidence of meteorite impact

During this period, Earth experienced a large number of meteorite impacts. Fragments of these meteorites have been found in sedimentary rocks in Europe, Russia, and China. These rocks contain meteorite fragments that have been exposed to space radiation for a shorter period of time than typical meteorites. In addition, multiple tsunamis during this period suggest that these events were linked.

Impact crater pattern

Scientists mapped 21 impact craters from this period, all of which are located near the equator. Using plate tectonic models, they found that none of these craters are near the poles. Normally, asteroid impacts would be randomly distributed around the globe, similar to craters on the moon and Mars. The unusual density of craters near the equator has led scientists to speculate that a large asteroid disintegrated near Earth, and the scattered debris formed the impact craters and ring system.

Ring and planet cooling

The possible ring around Earth would orbit near the equator. Because of the Earth’s axial tilt, the ring could partially block sunlight, leading to global cooling. This cooling effect could have played a role in triggering the Hirnantian Ice Age, which began about 445 million years ago. Scientists are currently working on models to better understand how the ring formed and its impact on Earth’s climate.