Story perspectives
Cosmic Collision: Theia's Role in Earth's Early Chemistry
10/7/2025
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Story summary
- The University of Bern estimates Earth's chemical composition solidified within three million years of the Solar System's formation.
- Early Earth was dry and lacked water and carbon.
- A collision with Theia delivered volatile components, enabling Earth to support life.
- Isotope analysis shows rapid chemical maturity before the protoplanetary disk dissipated, implying life depends on rare cosmic events.
