Study Finds Continents In Milky Way That Are Older Than Earth's

The research found that first continents formed around nearby Sun-like stars at least 5 billion years earlier than Earth's plate tectonics began.

Scientists have always been keen to understand how life started on Earth. Some theories claim it happened due to meteors, others say it happened due to volcanic eruptions around 4.5 billion years ago. All these answers, however, remain unverified. While these theories are still being discussed, a new study has now emerged that suggests oldest continents in our galaxy (Milky Way) may have arisen five billion years before Earth's. It has given rise to speculation that there may be multiple worlds in the Milky Way harbouring alien life even more advanced than our own.

A study detailing the new discovery has been published in the journal Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society.

Cardiff University astronomer Jane Greaves, who carried out the study, found that two exoplanets' continents may have arisen four to five billion years before Earth's.