Could Earth have once sported rings like Saturn? Scientists think so

Scientists claim that over 450 million years ago, our planet could have been surrounded by a ring system based on the analysis of craters from asteroids. Experts from Monash University presented a revolutionary theory in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters. According to them, about 460 million years ago, a ring system similar to the one that surrounds Saturn formed in Earth's orbit.

During this time, in a geological period called the Ordovician, meteoritic bombardment significantly increased. Researchers reached their conclusions after analysing 21 well-visible craters in various parts of the world. They were formed by asteroid impacts, all in a specific location.

All the craters are located within 30 degrees of the equator. Scientists note that over 70% of the Earth's continental crust lies outside this region. "Ordinary" asteroids hit Earth randomly, resulting in an even distribution of impact craters. This can be observed, for example, on the Moon or Mars.

Scientists believe that in the past, a large asteroid approached the Earth. Near our planet, it could have broken up under tidal forces, creating a ring of rocks around the planet, similar to the rings present today around Saturn and other gas giants.

For millions of years, material from the rings fell to Earth, accounting for the increased meteoritic bombardment, traces of which we observe in geological records today. Prof. Andy Tomkins, the study's author, says in the sedimentary rocks from this period, we see an exceptionally high number of meteorite fragments.

Researchers speculate that the ring could have cast a shadow on Earth, limiting sunlight and contributing to the global cooling that occurred in a period known as the Hirnantian. This period, at the end of the Ordovician, is considered the coldest time in the last 500 million years. Researchers also ponder if the Earth had more rings during its history and if they influenced the Earth's climate.

Prof. Tomkins emphasises that the idea that a ring system could have affected global temperatures adds another layer of complexity to our understanding of how cosmic events can shape the Earth's climate.