The Earth is thought to have been formed about 4.6 billion years ago by collisions in the giant disc-shaped cloud of material that also formed the Sun. Gravity slowly gathered this gas and dust together into clumps that became asteroids and small early planets called planetesimals. These objects collided repeatedly and gradually got bigger, building up the planets in the Solar System, including the Earth.

Collisions in the huge disc-shaped cloud of material that also generated the Sun are believed to have formed the Earth some 4.6 billion years ago.

Gravity gradually clumped this gas and dust into clumps that produced asteroids and tiny early planets known as planetesimals. These particles collided repeatedly and grew in size, eventually forming the Solar System’s planets, including Earth.

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The specifics of how the Earth came to be are still being worked out. Scientists investigate meteorites and the oldest rocks on Earth to learn more about what happened in the Solar System’s early days. They also observe other solar systems in our Milky Way galaxy.

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The details of how the Earth formed are still being worked out. Scientists study meteorites and the oldest rocks on Earth to understand what happened in these earliest times in the Solar System. They also observe other solar systems in our galaxy, the Milky Way.