A new study by planetary scientists has brought researchers closer to understanding where the material that formed Earth originally came from, challenging earlier theories about the planet's origins.

Scientists have long believed that while Earth formed in the inner Solar System alongside Mercury, Venus and Mars, a large portion of its material may have come from the outer Solar System, beyond Jupiter's orbit.

However, the latest research suggests that Earth was likely formed almost entirely from material found in the inner Solar System, reported BBC.

The study focused on the chemistry of meteorites, which are rocks from space that have fallen to Earth. These meteorites are considered important because they are leftover pieces from the early formation of the Solar System and provide clues about how planets were formed.

Researchers from the Swiss university ETH Zurich compared the chemical composition of meteorites from Mars and Vesta, one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, with Earth's composition.

Planetary scientists Paolo Sossi and Dan Bower studied isotopic ratios in the meteorites. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that contain different numbers of neutrons and help scientists identify where celestial bodies originated in the Solar System.

The researchers found that Earth's material appears to come entirely from the inner region of the Solar System. According to the study, material from the outer Solar System accounts for less than 2% of Earth's mass, or possibly none at all.

Source:Ndtv