The Blue Planet - Origins of the Earth

Earth Day is just around the corner so I thought I would write about the planet we celebrate. It is such a fascinating story!

Scientists estimate the Earth is 4.54 billion years old. After our sun was formed A mass of dust and gas, a solar nebula, shot out into space and formed a disk that revolved around the sun due to its gravitational pull, eventually creating our solar system.

But Earth didn't start out as a Blue Planet. In the beginning it was a hot, red, uninhabitable molten planet. No oceans of water, no ozone layer. Theoritically water was first present on Earth through outgassing from the interior but was quickly wisked away by solar winds which were much stronger before the atmosphere's formation.

About 4.2 billion years ago water accumulated to form the oceans. The atmosphere was comprised of ammonia, methane, water vapor, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, but no ozone layer. Life had to evolve within the protection of the oceans. It was about 4 million years ago that the first molecule replicated and about 3.5 million years ago when the last common ancestor of all life existed.

2.7 billion years ago breathable oxygen began to develop in the atmosphere which allowed for the formation of the ozone layer and for life to come out of the oceans. Without the ozone layer any plant or animal life would quickly perish. With oxygen came the rapid evolution of life forms.

And while it took so long for life to evolve scientist predict that the Earth will only be habitable for the next 500 million years due to the life cycle of the Sun.

I write all of this because to me it is a facinating and amazing story, whether or not you believe God had a hand in it. It is a story of something unique, as far as we know, and something precious, Life.

So while you celebrate Earth Day this year, whether it is your first time or fortieth, think about this: the most environmental thing you can do is really quite simple, be responsible. Let's make it through the next 500 million years.