“Over millions of years, material from this ring gradually fell to Earth, creating the spike in meteorite impacts observed in the geological record,” said Tomkins in a statement that accompanied the paper’s release. “We … see that layers in sedimentary rocks from this period contain extraordinary amounts of meteorite debris.”

The new study asserts that Earth's ring formed around 466 million years ago, and stuck around for around 40 million years before dissipating. Researchers say that the existence of such a ring would help solve several puzzles from Earth's past and that much of the data they collected supports its existence.

Earth may have had a giant ring of space rocks surrounding it, similar to those around Saturn, which could have led to chaotic meteorite strikes on our planet's surface, new research suggests. The hypothesized ring may have formed roughly 466 million years ago and was the remains of a gigantic asteroid tugged apart by Earth's tidal forces after passing our planet's Roche limit.

Saturn’s rings are iconic, but new evidence suggests Earth might once have sported one of its own. This ring would have caused chaos on the surface.

Research suggests Earth might have once boasted a spectacular ring similar to Saturn's, formed from an asteroid breakup around 466 million years ago. This event coincides with numerous meteorite impacts primarily around the equator and a subsequent period of significant global cooling.

Once upon a time, Earth may have sported a planetary ring of its very own. The hypothetical ring didn't last long, cosmically speaking – just a few tens of millions of years. But that was long enough to have left a lasting impression on Earth's geological record,

New geological evidence suggests that Earth might once have been encircled by a ring of debris, much like Saturn. This hypothesis, proposed by researchers from Monash University in Australia, was published in the journal Earth & Planetary Science Letters.