The Earth is approximately 4.54 billion years old, with an estimated uncertainty of about ±0.05 billion years. This age is derived primarily from radiometric dating of meteorites, the oldest terrestrial minerals, and lunar samples, which provide consistent evidence for this timeframe
. This age represents the time since Earth's accretion or core formation, shortly after the formation of the Solar System about 4.6 billion years ago. The earliest solid materials in the Solar System, such as calcium–aluminium- rich inclusions found in meteorites, date to about 4.567 billion years ago, setting a lower limit for the Solar System's age and closely aligning with Earth's formation period
. Radiometric dating techniques, which measure the decay of radioactive isotopes in rocks and minerals, are the most precise methods used to determine Earth's age. Because Earth's original rocks have largely been recycled through geological processes, scientists also study meteorites and lunar samples to infer the planet's age
. In summary, scientific consensus based on extensive geochemical and radiometric evidence places the age of the Earth at about 4.54 billion years
