Why the Earth is Not an Ice Ball

More than 2 billion years ago, the light is much dimmer than it is now. Low heat radiation that should make the earth into a ball of ice, which is not capable of supporting life as it is today. But Earth managed to avoid the ice.

David Minton from Purdue University believes he has found the answer. "If you go back to the 2 billion years ago, the earth should be frozen," said Minton, a professor of planetary science, atmospheric, and earth. He offers a new explanation and believe our planet is likely to be in a warmer place in those days.

More than 2 billion years ago, a much fainter sun
should have left Earth as an orbiting ice ball, unfit
to develop life as we know it today. Why Earth avoided
the deep freeze is a question that has puzzled scientists.  
(Picture from:  http://thesciencebulletin.wordpress.com/)

According to his calculations, the earth should be 6-7 per cent closer to the sun than now in order not to freeze in the early days of formation. "The distance is millions of miles, but from the standpoint of orbital mechanics, the distance is not that far," he said.

"The question is what makes the planets move from one location to another." Minton thought the earth had migrated away from the sun through a process called the spread of the planet, which occurs when one or more planets ejected from its orbit, the orbital separation increases, or when the planets collide. This explanation dipaparkannya the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore some time ago.

There are many ways that allow the planet to move. However, many alternatives are omitted because this process involves a period of 1 billion and 10 thousand years ago.

"The theory of the spread of the planet can not be ruled out because, when the solar system formed, no one knows how long they will be stable," he said. "Planetary system may be unstable for some time."

Minton speculated that in those days there were two protoplanet Venus went through a phase that is unstable and chaotic, crossed the path of the earth, and push the Earth into orbit today. Two protoplanet Venus then collide and form the planet Venus. *** [LIVESCIENCE | PURDUE UNIVERSITY | KORAN TEMPO 3897]

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