While Saturn is famous for its magnificent rings, new research suggests that Earth may have once had its own ring system that dramatically affected its surface. Scientists from Monash University in Australia have proposed that around 466 million years ago, Earth was encircled by a ring of debris that lingered for tens of millions of years. This groundbreaking theory, detailed in New Atlas, provides new insight into Earth’s chaotic early history. Earth underwent many changes during its early formation, from being covered in vast oceans to freezing into a “snowball” state, with landmasses breaking apart and merging over hundreds of millions of years. However, the idea that Earth had a ring system during one of these phases is relatively recent. Geological analysis led the researchers to propose that the Ordovician period—roughly 466 million years ago—saw the formation of a ring around Earth. Their findings were based on the unusual concentration of meteorite impact craters near the equator during that time. Using plate tectonic models, they mapped out 21 known craters from the period, most of which were located within 30 degrees of the equator—a pattern unlike typical meteorite falls, which are usually scattered more randomly. This clustering of craters suggests that Earth may have captured an asteroid, which broke apart and formed a temporary ring. Over time, this ring gradually fell to Earth, with debris predominantly hitting regions near the equator. The existence of such a ring could explain other significant events from the same period. Around 20 million years after the ring is thought to have formed, Earth entered an ice age, with temperatures plummeting to their coldest in half a billion years. According to lead researcher Andy Tomkins, a ring of debris around the equator could have partially blocked sunlight, leading to global cooling. This, in turn, could have contributed to the drastic drop in temperatures during Earth’s ice age. The study also hints at a broader planetary phenomenon, suggesting that ring systems may be a phase in the evolution of many planets. Just as Saturn’s rings will eventually disintegrate and fall to the planet, Mars is in the process of tearing apart one of its moons, which is predicted to form a ring around the planet in the next 20-40 million years. “The idea that Earth’s ring system could have influenced global temperatures adds completely new information to our understanding of how Earth’s climate formed,” said lead author Andy Tomkins. The post Earth Had Rings Like Saturn: Scientists Say It Was A Real Nightmare appeared first on Anomalien.com.