Our home planet, Earth, is a rocky, terrestrial planet. It has a solid and active surface with mountains, valleys, canyons, plains, etc. Earth is unique because it is an ocean planet. Water covers 70% of the Earth’s surface. Our atmosphere is made mainly of nitrogen and has plenty of oxygen for us to breathe. The atmosphere also protects us from incoming meteoroids, most of which break up in our atmosphere before they can strike the surface as meteorites. Since we live here, you may think we know everything about Earth. Not at all, actually! We have a lot we can learn about our home planet. Right now, many satellites are orbiting Earth taking pictures and measurements. It is how we can know more about weather, oceans, soil, climate change, and many other essential topics. So that’s why we suggest ten facts about the Earth that you should know.
Fact 1: The Earth is Slowing Down.
The Earth is slowing down about 17 milliseconds every 100 years.
Fact 2: The Coldest Place in the Universe is Earth.
The coldest object in space is the Boomerang Nebula; it’s 1 degree Kelvin, which is -458 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists at MIT could get temperatures below one nano-Kelvin, which is one-billionth of a degree Kelvin.
Fact 3: Earth is Actually Two Planets.
Based on the Giant Impact Hypothesis, Theia (a planet in our Solar System) was knocked out of her orbit and collided with the Earth, smashing together to form one planet (and the Moon).
Fact 4: Earth Loves Water.
We now know of many places, even in our own Solar System, which contains water. Earth is the only place where water exists in all three states: liquid, ice and vapor.
Fact 5: Earth is the Densest Planet.
A planet’s density is measured by comparison to the density of water, which is 1 gram per cubic centimeter. Earth has the highest density of them all, at 5.5 grams per cubic centimeter.
Fact 6: Earth isn’t a Sphere.
Because of gravity and centrifugal force, the Earth is, to some extent, oval in shape. This phenomenon happens to many planets and is exaggerated the faster it spins.
Fact 7: Earth is the Only Planet with Plate Tectonics.
There are seven major plates tectonics on Earth. Without these plates, we wouldn’t have earthquakes, volcanoes or eruptions, mountains, or ocean trenches.
Fact 8: The Best Recycler is Earth.
The Earth recycles itself and its surface. The rock cycle transforms Igneous rock into Sedimentary rock, which is converted into Metamorphic rock and constantly repeats itself.
Fact 9: Richie Rich: Earth’s Oceans.
It’s estimated that the Earth’s oceans have more than 20,000,000 tons of gold in them. Each liter of seawater contains about 13/1,000,000,000 of a gram of gold on average. Not ideal of extraction or mining operations… yet.
Fact 10: Earth had a Baby.
Theia, a planet roughly the size of Mars, was knocked out of its orbit and collided with Earth. As these two planets made whoopee, they gave birth to the Moon. The Earth and the Moon have come to depend on one another, much like a child and its mother.
Our world is an amazing place. It’s not just the size of our planet that’s incredible, but everything on it is equally awe-inspiring. Enjoy these interesting facts about the Earth and the amazing things that happen on it every day.
