Age and Origin of the Solar System
Using radiometric dating, scientists can estimate that the solar system is 4.6 billion years old.
The oldest rocks on Earth are approximately 3.9 billion years old. Rocks this old are rare, as the Earth is constantly being resurfaced. To estimate the age of the solar system scientists must use meteorites, which were formed during the early condensation of the solar nebula.
The oldest meteorites are found to have an age of 4.6 billion years, hence the solar system must be at least 4.6 billion years old.
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