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A New Timeline of Earth’s Cataclysmic Past

Depiction of large asteroids striking Earth, which, during parts of its early history, would have had a much thicker atmosphere than it does today. (Credits: NASA with modifications by Stephen Mojzsis)

Recent research shows that our planet may have been pummeled with asteroids long before some scientists had previously thought. Welcome to the early solar system. Just after the planets formed more than 4.5 billion years ago, our cosmic neighborhood was a chaotic place. Waves of comets, asteroids and even proto-planets streamed toward the inner solar system, with some crashing into Earth on their way.

Now, a team led by University of Colorado Boulder geologist Stephen Mojzsis has laid out a new timeline for this violent period in our planet’s history...

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