Planet Earth is third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest planet in the solar system. This section covers topics related to our Planet Earth including links to Earth from space.
Facts about Planet Earth
* Diameter: 12,800 km.
* Atmosphere: Mainly nitrogen 78.084% Nitrogen, 20.946% Oxygen. The other small parts include Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Helium, Hydrogen, Methane.
* Natural Satellites: 1 – the Moon
* Earth Year: 365 days (rotation around the sun)
* Earth Day: 24 hours
* Surface: 71% of Earth’s surface is covered in water.
* Temperature Range: -69?C to 58?C.
* Age: more than 4.5 billion years old.
* Average Distance from Sun: 149,597,870 km (93 million miles)
* Average distance from Earth to Moon: 384 000 km (238 607 miles). The Moon orbits Earth in 27.3217 days.
* Tilt: 23.4°
* Orbits the Sun: Speed of 107,870 km per hour (67,027 miles) per hour.
* Name: Comes from old English and German.
About the Planet
Earth has an atmosphere with oxygen, liquid water oceans and life. It orbits around the sun at 107,826 km per hour (67,000 miles/hr). It takes about 8 minutes and 19 seconds for sunlight to reach our planet.
Size
Earth is larger than the three other rocky planets: Mercury, Venus and Mars. It is smaller than the four gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Structure
The Earth consists of a gaseous atmosphere, the hydrosphere (all water on Earth), the lithosphere, mantle, and core. Water in the form of the oceans covers approximately 70% of the earth’s surface. The remaining 30% is land. There are five contientnts: Eurasia (Europe and Asia), America (North and South America), Africa, Antaractica and Australia.
There are five main oceans:
- Pacific: Largest of all the oceans. It is located between Americas in the west and Asia and Australia in the east. Pacific Ocean has the longest total shore line. It covers 46% of the total water surface of the Earth.
- Atlantic Ocean: Second largest ocean in the world. It is located between Americas in the west and Africa and Europe in the east.
- Indian Ocean: Third largest ocean in the world. It is located between east coast of Africa and south coast of Asia to the west coast of Australia.
- Antarctic Ocean: Also referred to as Southern Ocean. It is located near the South Pole.
- Arctic Ocean: Smallest and shallowest of all the oceans. It is located mostly in the Arctic Circle near the North Pole.
Atmosphere
Earth’s Atmosphere extends to a distance of 10,000 km into space.
Auroras
Auroras occurs when highly-charged electrons from solar wind collide with the upper atmosphere near the poles.
Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) are visible over northern Scandinavia, northern coast of Siberia, northern Canada and Alaska.
Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) are visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica, Australia, Argentina, Chile, and New Zealand.
Moon
Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite. The gravity between the Earth and the Moon causes the tides on Earth.
Interesting Facts
The following are some interesting facts:
1. Mount Everest is the highest point on the surface.
2. The largest volcano on earth is Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii.
3. The longest river is the Nile River in Africa is 6,695 kilometers (4,160 miles) long.
4. The driest place on Earth is the Atacama Desert in Chile.
5. Grand Canyon is the world’s largest canyon.
6. Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world by size and volume. It is located between southeast Europe and west Asia.
7. The Sahara Desert in northern Africa is the world’s largest desert.
8. The world’s deepest lake is Lake Baikal in the south central part of Siberia is 5,712 feet (1.7 kilometers) deep.
9. Greenland is the world’s largest island. Note: Australia is a continent.
10. Coldest temperature was minus 89.2 °C (-128.5?F) in Vostok, Antarctica, 1983. 11. The highest temperature was 58°C (136.4?F) at Al’Aziziyah, Libya, on 13th September 1922.
12. Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is the lowest point on Earth.
13. Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure in the world. It is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
14. The lowest point on land is the Dead Sea.
15. World’s longest mountain range is the Mid-ocean ridge. It is about 60,000 kilometers (37,000 miles) long.
16. World’s longest above-ground mountain range is the Andes. It is about 7,000 km (4,300 miles) long.
How many Man-Made Satellites are Orbitting the Earth?
The Goddard Space Flight Center’s lists 2,271 satellites currently in orbit. Russia has the most satellites currently in orbit, with 1,324 satellites, followed by the U.S. with 658. through this web site you will find info on earth realted satellites and space-ships (spacecraft).
Man-made Structure Visible from Space
The Only Man-made Structure Visible from Space is the Great Wall of China It stretches over 6,000 kilometers (nearly 4,000 miles). It is truly awesome.
If you want to see pictures of the Great Wall from the ground check the following web address: http://paulmcohen.com/greatwal.htm
Light Pollution
The world’s first anti-light pollution law “the Protection of the Atmosphere Act” became law in the Czech Republic on February 27th, 2002.
Space
First Picture of the Earth taken on 24 October 1946 on German V-2 missile above New Mexico, USA.
First Animals in Space were fruit flies. They were launched on V-2 rocket on 20 February 1947 from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space. Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space.
Earth Sections:
Earth Satellites: Mir Space Station, ISS (International Space Station):
Did you know?
– Earth’s axis is tilted 23.45? This creates the seasons because Earth’s surface changes its position relative to the Sun and hence the amount of heat delivered to the surface.
– There is no official flag of the Earth.
– The daily rotation of the Earth causes the day and night.
– The Earth is wider at the equator than from pole to pole
Planet Earth Links:
Earth from Space: Astronaut’s View of the Home Planet
Extraordinary Earth:This page contains Answers to Questions that have to do with the Earth.
Office of Earth Sciences: By JPL
Any comments or suggestions, click on Contact Info.
You must be logged in to post a comment.