Rings of Earth
 | This article documents a current astronomical discovery. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (September 2024) |
The rings of Earth are a proposed set of planetary rings that may have at one point been present around Earth during the Ordovician period. These rings may have formed during the Ordovician impact spike approximately 466 million years ago. [1][2][3]
Background
[edit]The Ordovician Period was the geologic period and system that the Earth was in when the rings are believed to have formed. The Ordovician spanned from 485.4 million years ago to 443.8 million years ago. During this period, an event known as the Ordovician meteor event occurred, when a high level of L chondrite meteorites hit Earth. The meteorites may have been caused by a large parent body that was 93 miles (150 km) in diamater.[4]
History
[edit]Formation
[edit]The parent body that produced the L chondrite meteorites is believed to have passed Earth's Roche limit, leading to the body being torn apart and its debris being scattered around, which eventually led to the formation of a debris ring.[5][6]
Post-formation
[edit]The rings are believed to have been present approximately 466 million years ago.[1][7][8] The Hirnantian glaciation may be a direct result of the rings shielding light from reaching the Earth,[9] and the rings may have existed for up to 40 million years.[9]
Discovery
[edit]The ring was first proposed after 21 impact craters from the meteor event were found to be located along a straight band around the Earth's equator.[10][11] Andrew G. Tomkins,[9] Erin L. Martin[9] and Peter A. Cawood[9], working with Monash University, released a study in September of 2024 that gave evidence on the existence of the rings.
See also
[edit]- Rings of Rhea, another set of theorized rings around Rhea
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Did Earth once have rings like Saturn?". BBC Newsround. 2024-09-24. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ "Earth Had a Ring 466 Million Years Ago, Study Says". New York Times. September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ Kluger, Jeffrey (2024-09-18). "Earth May Have Had a Ring Like Saturn Once". TIME. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ Nature, Research Communities by Springer (2019-10-22). "Gigantic asteroid collision in the Ordovician period boosted biodiversity on Earth". Research Communities by Springer Nature. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
- ^ "Study: Earth had planetary rings like Saturn 466 million years ago". Earth.com. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ "Earth Had Ring System 466 Million Years Ago, New Research Suggests | Sci.News". Sci.News: Breaking Science News. 2024-09-18. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ Bressan, David. "Study Suggests Earth May Once Had A Ring System". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ "It Turns Out Earth May Have Once Had a Ring". Popular Mechanics. 2024-09-24. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ a b c d e Tomkins, Andrew G.; Martin, Erin L.; Cawood, Peter A. (2024-11-15). "Evidence suggesting that earth had a ring in the Ordovician". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 646: 118991. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118991. ISSN 0012-821X.
- ^ Cawood A., Peter; Martin, Erin L.; Tomkins, Andrew G. (September 12, 2024). "Evidence suggesting that earth had a ring in the Ordovician". ScienceDirect. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ "Earth May Have Once Had a Saturn-Like Ring, New Study Says". CNET. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
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