OMG - The Earth And Moon Are Still Young Pups!
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For many years now, it has been believed that our planet Earth is about 4.567 billion years old - Now, a new study conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge's Trinity College has revealed that we may have overestimated the date - by about 70 million years!
Earth and the rest of the planets in the Solar System were formed as a result of a series of collisions between small dwarf planets that were orbiting a newly formed sun. When they bumped into each other the resulting heat melted the cores and they fused together to form larger planets.
Scientists had previously calculated that Earth, an amalgamation of many small planets, had taken approximately 30 million years to get to its current size. It finally stopped forming when a planet the size of Mars, hit it and instead of fusing with it, broke off a chunk from the Earth's surface - resulting in what is now our moon! However, the time frame of 30 million years was based on the assumption that it all happened continuously - with no break in between.
A new study based on the pace of decay of atoms or isotopes of radioactive chemicals in the Earth's crust, suggests that while 60% of the Earth was formed within the first 10-40 million years, the remaining 40% took much longer - about 70 million years longer. Since the moon was formed at the very end, it too was declared 70 million years younger, than originally thought!
sources: tgdaily.com, thehindu.com,csmonitor.com
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81 Comments
- fdgabout 14 yearscool
- kortabout 14 yearsyay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- maxabout 14 yearscoooooooooool
- Francis Jay Einsteinabout 14 yearsIm the person who invented that discovery
- Ellieabout 14 yearsThat's super cool!! We don't have to worry about 2012 anymore.
- Razza matazzabout 14 yearsThat is cool that the Earth and moon and still so young!
- Greenie Manabout 14 yearsThat is cool the Earth is so young, but kind of spooky too!
- Jamesabout 14 yearsI love my home!
- Coolnessabout 14 yearsEarth is young! Hehe.
- The Awesome Oneabout 14 yearsWOW!!!