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

Recent research suggests that Earth once had rings similar to those on Saturn. Scientists believe that this ring system was created by the breakup of an asteroid about 466 million years ago. This event coincided with significant meteorite impacts around the planet’s equator. Researchers suggest that the formation of the ring may have contributed to global cooling, possibly leading to the Hirnantian glaciation, one of the coldest periods in Earth’s history.

Evidence of meteorite impacts

During this time, the Earth has experienced a large number of meteorite impacts. The debris from these meteorites is found in sedimentary rocks in Europe, Russia, and China. These rocks contain meteorite fragments that were exposed to space radiation for shorter periods than typical meteorites. Furthermore, multiple tsunamis in this era suggest that these events were linked.

Patterns in impact craters

Scientists mapped 21 impact craters from this period, all located near the equator. Using plate tectonic models, they found that none of the craters were near the poles. Under normal circumstances, asteroid impacts would be randomly distributed across the globe, similar to craters on the Moon and Mars. The unusual concentration of craters near the equator led scientists to hypothesize that a large asteroid broke up near Earth, scattering debris that formed both impact craters and a ring system.

Rings and planetary cooling

The potential ring around the Earth would have rotated near the equator. Because the Earth’s axis is tilted, this ring would have partially blocked sunlight, contributing to global cooling. This cooling effect is thought to have played a role in causing the Hirnantian glaciation, which began about 445 million years ago. Scientists are now working on models to better understand how the ring formed and its impact on Earth’s climate.