Earth tipped over on its side 84 million years ago and then righted itself, new study finds

Earth tipped over on its side and back between 79 million and 86 million years ago, a study shows.
The planet tilted by 12 degrees - which would've moved New York City to where Florida is right now.
Earth's crust can shift like this depending on how weight is distributed across planet's surface.

If you'd been able to stare at Earth from space during the late Cretaceous, when Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops roamed, it would've looked like the whole planet had tipped over on its side.

According to a new study, Earth tilted by 12 degrees about 84 million years ago.

"A 12-degree tilt of the Earth could affect latitude that same amount," Sarah Slotznick, a geobiologist at Dartmouth College and co-author of the new study, told Insider.

It would approximately move New York City to where Tampa, Florida, is right now, she added.

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