There used to be a ring of its own around the Earth, probably

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Twenty-one such footprints were found to be located within 30 degrees of the equatorial line. And this raises questions, since 70% of the continental crust lies outside the equator. Modeling showed: most likely, a huge asteroid approached our planet, and then broke apart under the influence of tidal forces and formed a ring of debris. Gradually they fell to Earth.

The study has contributed to the understanding of Earth’s ancient climate, adding new “layers” to our geologic history.