The Earth probably could have formed in a rapid way that lasted only a few million years, not 100 million years as previously thought. A byproduct of this rapid formation may have been water.

This is according to a study by scientists from the University of Copenhagen, published in the journal Nature. The new theory gives hope that Earth is not the only planet of its kind, and intelligent life may have evolved on other planets in star systems.

Previously, it was believed that the formation of the Earth and other planets in the universe lasts for more than 100 million years, during which there is a collision of space bodies of different sizes, which eventually form the planet.

But as a result of this formation, space rock is formed, devoid of one of the most important components necessary for life: water. It was thought that water accidentally came to Earth with one of the water-rich asteroids. At the same time, it was not excluded that the presence of water on Earth is rather the exception to the rule than the rule of the galaxy.

The new theory, however, casts doubt on both previous concepts. A study has shown that the Earth may have been formed by the rapid absorption of rocks, dust and ice particles. And this process probably lasted only a few million years.

If the theory is correct, it increases the likelihood that other habitable planets in the universe exist, thanks to a byproduct: water formed as a result of such formation.

Co-author of the study and professor from the Globo Institute Martin Bizzarro noted that the work done has shown that "the presence of water on the Earth is a by-product of its formation.

Such a new mechanism of planet formation, according to him, significantly increases the chance of existence of habitable planets in the galaxy.

Another author of the study, graduate student Isaac Onyette explained that in the distant past around the Sun probably existed a dust disk, in which the formation of the planets of the solar system took place.

"Once a planet reached a certain size, it acted like a vacuum cleaner, absorbing all this dust very quickly, which contributed to its growth to the size of Earth in just a few million years," Onyette suggested.

Because, in addition to dust, the disk around the Sun also contained ice particles, the young planet absorbed them along with the dust, contributing to the presence of water during the formation of the Earth.

"This theory assumes that every time you create an Earth-like planet, it will have water on it. If you go to another planetary system where there is a planet orbiting a star the size of the sun, that planet, if it is at the right distance, should have water," Bizzarro emphasized.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL also told that under the surface of the Earth were found fragments of the ancient planet that "gave" us the Moon.

Subscribe to the channels of OBOZREVATEL in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest news.