A new theory by researchers suggests that it only took a million years for our planet to form.
The classical theory of the formation of terrestrial planets includes a stage in 50-100 million years, when giant collisions between “embryos” occur. In conclusion, Tech Explorist writes that until recently, researchers believed that the formation of our planet took about 100 million years.
Another equally common theory is that water arrived on our planet as a result of accidental collisions with asteroids, such as water-rich comets. But a new study by scientists from the University of Copenhagen completely refutes these theories.
in 24News Breaker. Technology emerged telegraph channel. Subscribe so you don’t miss the latest and exciting news from the world of science!
The results of the study show that the water hitting our planet was not an accident. Scientific evidence shows that the Earth formed extremely quickly from tiny, millimeter-sized pebbles.
Therefore, the researchers’ new theory suggests that the formation of our planet took only one million years, not 100, as previously stated. The results of the study also show that the water on Earth emerged as a result of the formation of the planet. According to the study’s co-author, associate professor Martin Schiller, he and his colleagues discovered that our planet formed much faster and that the presence of water was an entirely expected consequence of this process. Scientists now believe this information is critical because it also provides information about other planets located outside our solar system.
Habitability is characterized by the ability of a planet to have the necessary components for the development of life on its surface. Without exaggeration, water is considered one of the main ingredients. The previous theory suggested that planets formed over 100 million years as a result of the constant collision of bodies that gradually increased in size. In that case, Earth would actually need some sort of random water generation. And this can happen, for example, as a result of a collision with an icy body, a comet.
According to Schiller, if this is how our planet actually formed, we are extremely lucky to have water on Earth. However, this also means that the chances of planets outside the solar system having water are extremely low.
The authors of the study propose an alternative theory of the creation of the Earth. The author of the study, Ph.D. According to Isaac Onyette, the planets expanded into a disk around the young Sun, and the disk itself was covered with microscopic dust. When a planet reaches a certain size, it actually starts working like a vacuum cleaner and quickly sucks up all that dust. As a result, it could become the size of our planet in a few million years.
Researchers believe that this absorption of tiny pebbles not only played a vital role in the formation of the Earth, but also ensured that much-needed water was delivered to our planet. Onyette notes that the disc also contains a lot of ice particles, and since the vacuuming effect attracts dust, it will also capture ice particles.
Therefore, scientists believe that this absorption process actually contributed to the existence of water in the formation stage of the Earth and was not due to some random event that brought water to our planet 100 million years later.
Researchers now believe that evidence shows that water is more likely to be found on other planets outside our solar system. In essence, this theory proposes that every time a planet like ours forms, it will inevitably contain water. If you go to another planetary system with a planet orbiting a sun-sized star, it should be water if the planet is at the right distance.
Previously Focus He wrote about how old our world is: scientists argue that the answer is not as clear as it seems.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.