EARTH `70 MILLION YEARS YOUNGER THAN THOUGHT`
Baku, July 12 (AZERTAC). The solar system was formed 4.567 billion years ago, but the Earth reached its present size much later through a process known as `accretion`.
It was previously estimated that it took around 30 million years for the Earth to accumulate to its present size - making it 4.537 billion-years-old.
But new research has revealed that the process probably took around 100 million years - meaning that the Earth is actually closer to 4.467 billion-years-old
The Earth was formed by a series of collisions between dozens of smaller planetary bodies or `planetary embryos`.
Parts of these proto-planets blended together and the intense heat of impact melted their interiors.
Over time, this led to the formation of a molten metal core at the heart of the Earth, with a silicate mantle overlying it.
It is believed that the final part of the process happened when a body the size of Mars collided with the Earth and caused a part to break away forming the Moon.
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