Earth and the Solar System Department

Nearly 4.6 billion years ago, within a vast cloud of interstellar spaces, a small pocket of gas and dust collapsed under its own gravity and our solar system was born. As part of this system, our Earth is always in flux and is constantly remolded by powerful forces. These forces can often appear as sudden and unexpected phenomena. The popular Earth & Solar Systems Gallery display rocks, sediments, meteorites and volcanic rock that are relevant to representing the origin and history of the earth and the solar system. It enables visitors to explore the dynamic forces that formed and are continually forming the Earth and our Solar System.