Earth To paraphrase Carl Sagan: “That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you've ever heard of. Our joy and suffering, confident religions, and economic doctrines. Every mother and father, every hopeful child, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there—on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” (more) How Was Earth Created? Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/How-Was-Earth-Created Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Apr 8, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Earth’s creation is a fascinating tale of interstellar material coming together to form the planet we now call home. It all began around 4.6 billion years ago when a massive cloud of dust and gas, known as the solar nebula, began to collapse under its own gravity. At the center of this collapse, the Sun formed, while the remaining material flattened into a spinning disk. Within this disk, particles began to stick together through the process of accretion, gradually forming the planets of our solar system, including Earth. As the particles condensed, they formed larger fragments and eventually planetesimals, which ...(100 of 298 words)

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