The existence of a ring, forming around 466 million years ago and lasting tens of millions of years, could explain several puzzles in our planet’s past.

When we think of planets with rings, Saturn often comes to mind. However, new research suggests that Earth might have had its own ring system in the past. Scientists believe these rings were formed after an asteroid broke apart around 466 million years ago.

According to a recent study in Earth & Planetary Science Letters, our planet might have hosted a ring system around 466 million years ago. If proven, this discovery could solve many puzzles from Earth’s ancient past.

Andy Tomkins and his team at Monash University propose that Earth once had rings lasting ten million years, affecting its climate. Their analysis of asteroid craters from 466 million years ago suggests a debris ring formed from an asteroid's fragmentation,

Earth may have had a giant ring of space rocks surrounding it, similar to those around Saturn, which could have led to chaotic meteorite strikes on our planet's surface, new research suggests. The hypothesized ring may have formed roughly 466 million years ago and was the remains of a gigantic asteroid tugged apart by Earth's tidal forces after passing our planet's Roche limit.

"Over millions of years, material from this ring gradually fell to Earth, creating the spike in meteorite impacts," said researcher Andy Tomkins.

A weird number of craters are located close to the equator, and the odds that this is random are incredibly low, researchers say.

A ring of asteroid debris could have orbited Earth for tens of millions of years, and perhaps even have altered the planet's climate

Scientists have presented evidence that Earth may have had a ring. The existence of such a ring, forming around 466 million years ago and persisting for a few tens of millions of years, could explain several puzzles in our planet’s past.