Scientists just found pieces of Earth from before the Moon

Technology Nov 04, 2025

MIT researchers just found traces of proto-Earth—basically, pieces of our planet from before the Moon even existed.
By studying potassium isotopes in super-old rocks, they uncovered what Nicole Nie from MIT calls, "This is maybe the first direct evidence that we've preserved the proto-Earth materials."
This could give us a rare peek into how Earth looked before that giant collision that created the Moon.

The team found ancient rocks from Canada, Greenland, and Hawaii

The team found ancient rocks from Canada, Greenland, and Hawaii with a unique lack of potassium-40—a chemical signature not seen in meteorites or other known materials.
These rare leftovers might challenge what we thought we knew about Earth's origins and show there's still a lot to learn about how our planet formed.