Search results
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all of Earth's water is contained in its global ocean, covering 70.8% of Earth's crust.
- Namesake. The name Earth is at least 1,000 years old. All of the planets, except for Earth, were named after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. However, the name Earth is a Germanic word, which simply means “the ground.”
- Potential for Life. Earth has a very hospitable temperature and mix of chemicals that have made life abundant here. Most notably, Earth is unique in that most of our planet is covered in liquid water, since the temperature allows liquid water to exist for extended periods of time.
- Size and Distance. With an equatorial diameter of 7926 miles (12,760 kilometers), Earth is the biggest of the terrestrial planets and the fifth largest planet in our solar system.
- Orbit and Rotation. As Earth orbits the Sun, it completes one rotation every 23.9 hours. It takes 365.25 days to complete one trip around the Sun. That extra quarter of a day presents a challenge to our calendar system, which counts one year as 365 days.
Apr 30, 2024 · Learn about Earth, the planet we live on, its structure, features, and history. Explore maps, photos, and articles on Earth's interior, exterior, revolution, rotation, and more.
5 days ago · Earth, third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest planet in the solar system in terms of size and mass. Its single most outstanding feature is that its near-surface environments are the only places in the universe known to harbor life.
- Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest planet in the solar system in terms of size and mass. Its near-surface environments ar...
- Earth is located in the Orion-Cygnus Arm, one of the four spiral arms of the Milky Way, which lies about two-thirds of the way from the centre of t...
- Earth’s name in English, the international language of astronomy, derives from Old English and Germanic words for ground and earth, and it is the o...
- Earth and the other planets in the solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago. The early Earth had no ozone layer and no free oxygen, lacked o...
- Viewed from another planet, Earth would appear bright and bluish in colour. In latitudinal belts, swirling white cloud patterns of midlatitude and...
Learn about the Earth's formation, rotation, magnetic field, moon, density, and more. Discover some surprising facts about the only known planet to support life, such as its irregular shape, its co-orbital satellites, and its water distribution.
May 6, 2024 · Learn about Earth, our home planet, with this interactive website from NASA. Find out about its structure, surface, atmosphere, time, neighbors, history, and more.
While Earth is only the fifth largest planet in the solar system, it is the only world in our solar system with liquid water on the surface. Just slightly larger than nearby Venus, Earth is the biggest of the four planets closest to the Sun, all of which are made of rock and metal.
