Facts On Planet Earth

It is believed that planet Earth was formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago. It is the only planet to be able to sustain life and all the essentials that are required by humans and other living organisms to live are provided under a thin layer of atmosphere that separates us from the void of space. The atmosphere of Earth is composed mainly of nitrogen (77%), oxygen (21%), argon (.93%), and carbon dioxide (0.03%). It is interesting to note that complex interactive systems are responsible for supporting life on Earth. Earth is the densest planet with a diameter of 12,756 km. In case, you want to know some fascinating and amazing facts about Earth, follow the article.

Interesting And Amazing Information About Earth

Though it is widely believed that the Earth is round in shape, it is not completely round. It has a geoid shape, which means a round shape with a slight protrusion towards the equator. This protrusion is caused by the rotation of Earth.
The Earth is the fifth largest planet of the solar system, which has a total of nine planets. It is the third nearest planet to the Sun.
The only planet whose name has not been derived from Roman or Greek mythology is Earth. In fact, Earth’s name has originated from ‘Erda’, an 8^th century Anglo Saxon word, which literally means ground or soil.
An interesting fact about planet Earth is that 70% of its surface is covered by water. The weather experienced in different places of earth varies according to the distribution of water vapor through the atmosphere.
Earth takes approximately 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds to rotate around its axis. This implies that on an average, Earth takes a complete day to complete a full rotation around its axis.
A year on Earth actually consists of 365.2564 days. It’s due to this extra .2564 days that we have a leap year after every four years.
The surface of Earth is divided into several layers. Its crust varies in terms of thickness. While the inner core and the crust of Earth are solid in nature, the outer core and the mantle layers are semi fluid. The crust of earth is thicker in other areas and comparatively thinner under the ocean floors.
The gravitational pull between the Earth and the moon is responsible for causing tides in the oceans and seas. This gravitational pull also explains why one side of the moon is facing the Earth.
The Earth is the only planet to have an atmosphere that sustains life. It has water, oxygen and other conditions that are essential for life to exist. Though astronomical researches are on to find life-sustaining conditions on some other planets, there has been no credible success so far.
The Earth is mainly composed of Iron (34.6%), Oxygen (29.5%), Silicon (15.2%), Magnesium (12.7%), Nickel (2.4%), Sulfur (1.9%) and Titanium (0.05%).
The average surface temperature of earth is 13 degrees C (55.4 degrees F). Had it not been for the greenhouse gas emissions, earth would have experience a much colder climate.
The Earth has only one satellite, i.e. the moon. It is also the second brightest object in the sky, after sun.

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