Earth Once Had Rings Like Saturn, Study Suggests

New research indicates that a disintegrated asteroid formed a ring around Earth 466 million years ago, affecting the planet's climate.

A study led by Andrew Tomkins proposes that Earth had a ring system during the Ordovician Period, approximately 466 million years ago.
The rings were formed from the debris of an asteroid that came too close to Earth and was torn apart by gravitational forces.
Evidence for the rings includes 21 impact craters located within 30 degrees of the equator and elevated levels of L chondrite material in global sediments.
The presence of the ring system may have contributed to a significant global cooling event, known as the Hirnantian Icehouse, by casting shadows and increasing atmospheric dust.
This theory could explain discrepancies in the climate record, such as high carbon dioxide levels coinciding with cooler global temperatures.