Rings of Earth

These rings may have formed during the Ordovician impact spike approximately 466 million years ago.

[1][2][3] They were first formally proposed by a team of scientists working with the Monash University in September 2024, and have been a subject of interest for several years prior to the study.

[4] The parent body that produced the L chondrite meteorites is believed to have passed Earth's Roche limit, leading to the body being torn apart and its debris being scattered around, which eventually led to the formation of a debris ring.

[9] The ring was first formally proposed after 21 impact craters from the meteor event were found to be located along a straight band around the Earth's equator.

[10][11] Andrew G. Tomkins,[9] Erin L. Martin[9] and Peter A. Cawood,[9] working with Monash University, released a study in September 2024 that gave evidence on the existence of the rings.