Illustration of the Earth, Moon and Sun showing a passing comet. Cities are seen glistening, defining the edges of the Earth's continents. Comets are balls of loosely packed 'dirty ice'. As they near the Sun, their gases sublimate and form long tails...

Orbits of planets in the Solar System, illustration

It is thought that comets may have seeded Earth's oceans. After the planets had largely formed, there was a period lasting several hundred million years, during which the young worlds continued to accrete debris, raining down from space.

A view of the Solar System from an oblique angle, looking inwards from the orbit of the sixth planet, Saturn. The asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is also shown, as a wide translucent band.

Dinosaur Exinction

Layers of the atmosphere, conceptual illustration

Space special effects composite with Earth, comet and crescent moon

Earth and Moon, illustration

Space special effects composite with Earth, comet and clock representing Time

Artist's concept of an early Earth impact.

Several asteroids hurtle towards Earth on a path of devastation.

Artist's concept showing how the surface of Earth appeared during the Hadean eon.

The birth and creation of a new planet that may evolve into the Earth itself.

Solar System artwork

An asteroid rips apart the Earth's crust causing mass destruction.

A scene portraying the early stages of a solar system forming.

Artist's concept of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft.

Solar System

Three comets blaze a trail near a planet and its moon.

Artist's concept of the formation of the solar system.

Comet and Earth