Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the largest of the terrestrial planets. Unlike most bodies in our solar system, it is not named after a Greek or Roman deity. Formed approximately 4.54 billion years ago, Earth is the only known planet to support life.
Earth Planet Profile | |
|---|---|
Equatorial Diameter | 12,756 km |
Polar Diameter | 12,714 km |
Mass | 5.97 × 1024 kg |
Moons | 1 (The Moon) |
Orbit Distance | 149,598,262 km |
Orbit Period | 365.24 days |
Surface Temperature | −88 °C → 58 °C |
Atmosphere | ~78% nitrogen, ~21% oxygen, trace gases. |
Surface Gravity | 9.81 m/s² (100% of Earth) |
About 70% of Earth’s surface is covered by water.
When astronauts first traveled into space and looked back at our planet, they saw Earth with human eyes for the first time and called it the Blue Planet. The name is no surprise: vast oceans dominate the view from space. The remaining 30% of Earth’s surface is solid land, rising above sea level. From orbit, this contrast of deep blue oceans and scattered continents defines the planet’s unmistakable appearance.
Earth’s spin is gradually decelerating by about 17 milliseconds per century. Over millions of years, this subtle change lengthens our days, and at the current pace, a 25-hour day could emerge in roughly.
Ancient astronomers believed Earth stood still while the Sun, Moon, and planets moved around it in perfect circles. This geocentric view was later replaced by a Sun-centered model, and we now know that even the Sun is not the universe’s center.
Generated by the movement of molten iron and nickel deep within the planet’s core, Earth’s magnetic field protects the surface from much of the Sun’s harmful solar wind.
The Moon is unusually large compared to Earth. Relative to its planet, it is the largest moon in the solar system, though in absolute size it ranks fifth overall.
While all other planets carry the names of Roman gods or goddesses, Earth’s name comes from old Germanic and English words meaning “ground” or “soil”.
With an average density of 5.52 g/cm³, Earth outweighs all other planets per unit volume, thanks to its massive metallic core.
