Earth may have lost the Sun’s protective shield millions of years ago
First reported Wed, 02 Sep 2026 04:25:48 GMT · Last updated
Analysis updated · By Newsei
NASA-funded studies suggest the Sun’s passage through dense galactic regions and its early superflares may have influenced Earth’s climate.
Why it matters: The studies could help explain ancient ice ages and how Earth supported liquid water when the Sun was dimmer.
Newsei analysis
Inference, not reporting: this section is Newsei's AI-assisted synthesis of the sources below (openai/gpt-6-astra). Facts come only from the linked original articles.
Science Daily reports that NASA-funded studies link possible changes in Earth’s ancient climate to the Sun’s travels through dense regions of the Milky Way and superflares during its youth.
The findings may help explain ancient ice ages and how early Earth retained liquid water despite a dimmer Sun. The reporting presents these links as possibilities, not established explanations.
What we know
Still unclear
- NASA funded the studies described in the reporting.Science Daily
- The studies suggest the Sun’s passage through dense regions of the Milky Way may have influenced Earth’s climate.Science Daily
- The studies suggest early solar superflares may help explain how Earth stayed warm enough for liquid water under a dimmer Sun.Science Daily
1 source in this cluster
- Science DailyEarth may have lost the Sun’s protective shield millions of years ago
NASA-funded studies suggest Earth’s climate has been influenced by both the Sun’s travels through dense regions of the Milky Way and the violent superflares of its youth. Those events may help explain ancient ice ages as well as how early Earth stayed warm enough for liquid water when the Sun was much dimmer.
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 04:25:48 GMT
Timeline
- 2026-09-02 04:25 UTC · Science Daily
Science Daily reported that the Sun’s travels through dense Milky Way regions may help explain ancient ice ages.
- 2026-09-02 04:25 UTC · Science Daily
The same report described studies suggesting youthful solar superflares may help explain liquid water on early Earth.
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Explainer, claims and timeline generated automatically from the sources above by openai/gpt-6-astra on Tue, 08 Sep 2026 02:45:03 GMT. Always check the original reporting.