EARTH
Pale Blue Dot
Last updated:
USA[08/07/19]
NZL[07/08/19]
-[Size|Name Origin|Ancient Times]
The Earth is the third planet from the Sun, the largest Terrestrial planet, and is our home. Earth is the only planet in the Solar System that is not named after a Greek or Roman deity and is the only planet to support life. Earth derives from the Old English word "ertha" and the Anglo-Saxon word "erda" which means ground or soil. The name was later changed and no one knows who named the Earth. Ancient astronomers also believed for 2000 years, that the Earth was the center of the Universe. But in 1543, Copernicus published his sun-centered model of the Solar System which was later proved correct.
-[Natural Satellite|Atmosphere|Magnetic Field]
Earth only has one natural satellite which is the moon. The moon lights the Earth up at night and causes ocean tides to rise and fall. The gravitational pull of the moon pulls the water in the oceans upwards making the oceans bulge. This creates high tides in the areas of Earth facing the moon and on the opposite side. At the same time, in other parts of the planet, the ocean water drains away to fill these bulges, creating low tides. However, the oceans' water is also constrained by the continents and varying ocean depths. As a result, the tides behave more like water sloshing around in an oddly shaped bathtub than in a smooth and even basin. The atmosphere is the layer of gases, known as air, that surrounds Earth and is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for liquid water to exist on the Earth's surface. It also protects all living things from harmful ultraviolet radiation. The atmosphere does all sorts of things like warm the surface through heat retention and reduces temperatures between day and night. The atmosphere itself is made up of 5 layers. These are the 5 layers in order from the surface of Earth and up[Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere]. The ozone layer, a layer located in the stratosphere, is what protects us from the suns harmful radiation. Outer space is thought to be 100 km above Earth's surface, which would mean space starts in the Thermosphere layer of the atmosphere[Images on the atmosphere below]. Earth also has a very powerful magnetic field which protects the planet from the suns solar winds. This is believed to be a result of the nickel-iron core of the planet combined with its rapid rotation.
-[Orbit|Density|Rotation|Seasons|Height & Depth]
Earth orbits the sun from about 149.6 million km away and has one of the most circular orbits out of all the eight planets. The Earth is also the densest planet in the Solar System. The Earth rotates on its axis at a 23.5-degree angle which causes seasons. Spring, summer, fall (autumn), and winter are the four seasons of Earth. Summer is when it is the hottest, winter is when it is the coldest, spring is when plant life blooms because of warmth and rain, and lastly fall(autumn)is when leaves fall off trees. Seasons usually last for about 3 months. Earth's highest point is Mount Everest at 8,848 m and its lowest point is Challenger Deep at 11,033 m.
-Notes-
Made of-
Crust[Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium]
Mantle[Rock containing silicon, iron, magnesium, aluminum, oxygen, and other minerals]
Core[Nickel and iron]
Temperature- 14.9 Celsius[Average 2017]
Diameter- 12,742 km
Mass- 5.972 × 10^24 kg
Distance from Sun- 149.6 million km
Distance from Moon- 363,104 km [closest]
Images below-