Gen 1:2a

Gen 1:2a And the earth was without form, and void;

This is an image of the planet Mars. It is certainly void, and is unformed.

Perhaps the Earth was like this, in its beginning.

Void of what? Life. Over six days God forms this planet, and prepared for it to be filled with life.

Genesis 1:1

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

This is a simple declarative sentence. From it we know that this world was no accident, and that God was the primary agent of this creation.

The "earth" is a clear reference to the planet upon which we dwell. The "heaven" spoken of here is simply the sky, which includes the idea of an atmosphere.

"In the beginning" of what? The earth and the sky, and that is where our story picks up.

The rest of this chapter explains how God created the heaven and the earth. Taking it from a lifeless world to one filled with it.

Note: the word "God" is taken from the Hebrew word, "elohiym"

Cross reference to : Job 38:4-7, John 1:1-2, Hebrews 1:10