Since the planet Earth doesn't have a birth certificate to record its formation, scientists have spent hundreds of years struggling to determine the age of the planet. By dating the rocks in the ever-changing crust, as well as neighbors such as the moon and visiting meteorites, scientists have calculated that Earth is 4.54 billion years old, with an error range of 50 million years.

Najstarsze minerały na Ziemi mają ok. 4, 4 miliarda lat. Natomiast meteoryty, z których powstały planety Układu Słonecznego mają 4, 6 miliarda lat. To wskazuje, że Ziemia ma ok. 4,5 miliarda lat.