Earth Swallowed Another Planet and (Maybe) That's Why Life Exists

 By Yasemin Saplakoglu January 24, 2019,

 the ancient collision that formed the moon may also have brought with it all the ingredients needed for life, a new study finds.

Over 4.4 billion years ago, a Mars-size body smashed into a primitive Earth, launching our moon into permanent orbit around our planet.

But a new study finds that this event could have had a much larger impact than previously thought. The collision could also have imbued our planet with the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur needed for life to form, scientists reported today (Jan. 23) in the journal Science Advances.

A new theory holds that Earth might have received the elements it needed for life to form from a massive collision with a Mars-sized planet.

(Image: © Image courtesy of Rice University) Source: Space.com