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Many of us look to the stars for answers to life’s most complex questions. But actually, some of the greatest mysteries lie beneath our very feet. One might think we’d know the Earth pretty well by now but, in fact, our planet’s core remains shrouded in enigma. Indeed, there are two gigantic blobs located beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean that occupy around six per cent of the world’s entire volume. And yet, we’re still not entirely sure what they’re made of or where they came from. There are a number of hypotheses, including that they are piles of oceanic crust that have accumulated over billions of years. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter But a more interesting theory is that they are huge chunks of an ancient planet that hit the Earth around 4.5 billion years ago. To give an indication of just how massive these things are, the structure under Africa – an area known as Tuzo – is thought to be around 800km (497 miles) tall – the equivalent of some 90 Mount Everests stacked on top of one another, as IFLScience notes. The problem with determining the origin of these monster formations is that there are no direct ways of observing the Earth’s core. The deepest hole humans have ever dug – branded the "entrance to hell" – reached a pretty staggering 12,263m (40,230ft), but that doesn’t even come close to breaking through the crust to the layers beneath. Our most effective tool for analysing what lies beneath the ground is a technique called seismic tomography, which looks at how waves of energy travel when earthquakes occur. Since rocks and liquids have different densities, the waves move through them at different speeds. By measuring the tremors from different points on the surface, geologists can determine what kind of material the waves are travelling through and, in so doing, map out the Earth’s interior. It was by using this technique that the two unusual structures – known as large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) – were found. Waves travel more slowly in these areas – fondly known as “blobs” – than through the surrounding lower mantle, indicating that they’re made of something different. We can’t tell what this material is based on seismic tomography data alone, but some scientists like to believe that they are the remnants of an ancient planet called Theia – an idea known as the “giant impact hypothesis”. According to this hypothesis, around 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized object collided with the Earth. This impact not only created the planet we call home today, but also threw off enough rock to form the moon that lights up our night skies. Some scientists suggest that some of Theia’s leftovers also sunk to the bottom of the planet, probably settling somewhere above the core – thereby forming at least one of the two LLSVPs. More Updates About Strange Blob Structures Inside Planet Earth youtu.be Experts have been investigating the area for decades but there’s still no way of knowing for sure just what these two giant blobs are. Still, studies into Theia have offered important insights into how the possible collision might have kickstarted key plate tectonic and mantle motion inside our planet – crucial processes for establishing the world on which we live. It’s also a useful reminder that we still have so much to learn about our planet and where we came from. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A man has been formally charged with the murder of an 11-year-old British girl who was shot dead in Brittany, France on Saturday evening. Dirk Raats, 71, spoke briefly on Monday evening as he was formally charged with the murder of Solaine Thornton, 11, and the attempted murders of her parents Adrian and Rachael Thornton, 52 and 49 respectively. Solaine Thornton died after she was allegedly shot while playing on swings in the garden of her home in France. The couple’s younger daughter, Celeste, eight, managed to get away unscathed to raise the alarm in the Brittany hamlet of Saint-Herbot, near Quimper. Officials have since said Solaine was “not the target” of a fatal gunshot which killed her outside her home in France. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, public prosecutor Camille Miansoni said: “It would seem that he was not aiming at the little girl.” On Monday, Mr Raats was taken from a secure police station for a 10-minute appearance before a judge at Brest Criminal Court. Speaking in court, he said: “It’s so horrible what happened. I don’t understand,” after judges confirmed a test showed he was ‘on drugs’ on Saturday. The court heard that Mr Raats had worked as a photographer, shepherd and career for the handicapped before retiring to France some five years ago. Anne Guillerme, his defence barrister, said he had “no criminal record” and may have psychiatric problems. However, an evaluation performed since Mr Raats’s arrest showed there is no evidence he is “unhinged”, the public prosecutor said. Mr Raats was remanded in custody following the charges, and could spend the rest of his life in prison if found guilty at trial. The 71-year-old’s wife, who was named as Marlene van Hook, also in her 70s, was meanwhile being questioned on suspicion of concealing a weapon. Miansoni confirmed both Mr Raats and his wife “tested positive for alcohol and cannabis” at the time of their arrest. The two sets of near neighbours had been involved in a dispute dating back at least three years. Mr Raats had reportedly been in a “conflict” with the family over a plot of land beside their properties for “several years”, state prosecutor Carine Halley said. Meanwhile, a resident claimed Mr Raats regularly complained about the family cutting down trees to make way for children’s play equipment, including swings. “He was also regularly upset about the noise the family made, even though it didn’t bother anyone else – it was mainly just kids having a nice time,” the resident said. Ms Halley explained initial evidence suggests the suspect “retreated” to his house where he barricaded himself in with his wife after shooting at the family. The Intervention Group of the National Gendarmerie tactical unit was called to the scene, and a negotiator persuaded the couple to give themselves up. They were then arrested. Solaine’s grandfather, Irvin Thornton, reportedly told the Sun newspaper “she didn’t stand a chance”. He said his son, Adrian, is in a coma. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British family following a shooting in France and are in contact with the local authorities.” Read More Gunman ‘not aiming’ at schoolgirl from British family, prosecutor says British girl shot dead in France ‘by neighbour who complained about noise and cutting trees’ Schoolgirl from British family shot dead by neighbour in France Gunman ‘not aiming’ at schoolgirl from British family, prosecutor says Schoolgirl from British family shot dead by neighbour in France Schoolgirl from British family shot dead in France – reports

'The Idol' star Lily-Rose Depp has seen a meteoric rise in her career in addition to a number of A-list romances

By Ismail Shakil and Steve Scherer OTTAWA (Reuters) -Automaker Stellantis has stopped construction at a more-than C$5 billion ($3.7 billion)