Earth, Moon may be now 60 million years older than thought

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Scientists have finally unlocked the mystery of when did our planet evolve. At the Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference in Sacramento, California, this week, researchers concluded that the formation of Earth took place around 60 million years older than was previously thought. Previously, the time of formation of the Earth`s atmosphere was estimated at around 100 million years after the solar system`s formation. To reach this conclusion, geochemists discovered an isotopic signal which indicates that previous age estimates for both the Earth and the Moon are underestimates. To put a date on early earth events, one of the standard methods is measuring the changes in the proportions of different gases (isotopes) which survive from the early earth. The gas sealed in this quartz is preserved as in a "time capsule". (With Agency inputs)