Globe information. Earth - a planet in the solar system, about which we know everything or not? Atmosphere and surface of the Earth
Earth- third planet solar system. Find out planet description, mass, orbit, size, Interesting Facts, distance to the Sun, composition, life on Earth.
Of course we love our planet. And not only because it is a home, but also because it is a unique place in the solar system and the universe, because so far we know only life on Earth. It lives in the inner part of the system and occupies a place between Venus and Mars.
planet earth also called the Blue Planet, Gaia, the World and Terra, which reflects its role for each people in historical terms. We know that our planet is rich in many different life forms, but how exactly did it manage to become so? First, consider interesting facts about the Earth.
Interesting facts about planet Earth
Rotation gradually slows down
- For earthlings, the entire process of slowing down the rotation of the axis occurs almost imperceptibly - 17 milliseconds per 100 years. But the nature of the speed is not uniform. This results in an increase in the length of the day. After 140 million years, a day will cover 25 hours.
The earth was believed to be the center of the universe
- Ancient scientists could observe celestial objects from the position of our planet, so it seemed that all objects in the sky were moving relative to us, and we remained at one point. As a result, Copernicus declared that the Sun (the heliocentric system of the world) is at the center of everything, although now we know that this does not correspond to reality, if we take the scale of the Universe.
Endowed with a powerful magnetic field
- The earth's magnetic field is created by the nickel-iron planetary core, which is rapidly rotating. The field is important because it protects us from the influence of the solar wind.
Has one companion
- If you look at the percentage, then the Moon is the largest satellite in the system. But in reality it is in the 5th position in size.
The only planet not named after a deity
- Ancient scientists named all 7 planets in honor of the gods, and modern scientists, when discovering Uranus and Neptune, followed the tradition.
First in Density
- Everything is based on the composition and specific part of the planet. So the core is represented by metal and bypasses the crust in density. The average earth density is 5.52 grams per cm 3.
Size, mass, orbit of the planet Earth
With a radius of 6371 km and a mass of 5.97 x 10 24 kg, the Earth is in the 5th position in terms of size and massiveness. This is the largest terrestrial planet, but it is inferior in size to the gas and ice giants. However, in terms of density (5.514 g / cm 3) it ranks first in the solar system.
polar contraction | 0,0033528 |
---|---|
Equatorial | 6378.1 km |
Polar radius | 6356.8 km |
Medium radius | 6371.0 km |
Great circle circumference | 40,075.017 km (equator) (meridian) |
Surface area | 510,072,000 km² |
Volume | 10.8321 10 11 km³ |
Weight | 5.9726 10 24 kg |
Average density | 5.5153 g/cm³ |
Acceleration free fall at the equator |
9.780327 m/s² |
first cosmic speed | 7.91 km/s |
Second space velocity | 11.186 km/s |
equatorial speed rotation |
1674.4 km/h |
Rotation period | (23 h 56 m 4,100 s) |
Axis Tilt | 23°26’21",4119 |
Albedo | 0.306 (Bond) 0.367 (geom.) |
A weak eccentricity (0.0167) is observed in the orbit. The distance from the star at perihelion is 0.983 AU, and at aphelion it is 1.015 AU.
It takes 365.24 days to go around the Sun. We know that due to the existence of a leap year, we add a day every 4 passes. We used to think that a day lasts 24 hours, in reality this time takes 23 hours 56 meters and 4 seconds.
If you observe the rotation of the axis from the poles, you can see that it occurs counterclockwise. The axis is tilted 23.439281° from the perpendicular to the orbital plane. This affects the amount of light and heat.
If the North Pole is turned towards the Sun, then summer is set in the northern hemisphere, and winter is set in the south. At a certain time, the Sun does not rise at all over the Arctic Circle, and then night and winter last there for 6 months.
The composition and surface of the planet Earth
In shape, the planet Earth resembles a spheroid, oblate at the poles and with a bulge on the equatorial line (diameter - 43 km). This is due to rotation.
The structure of the Earth is represented by layers, each of which has its own chemical composition. It differs from other planets in that our core has a clear distribution between the solid inner (radius - 1220 km) and the liquid outer (3400 km).
Next comes the mantle and bark. The first deepens to 2890 km (the densest layer). It is represented by silicate rocks with iron and magnesium. The crust is divided into the lithosphere (tectonic plates) and the asthenosphere (low viscosity). You can carefully consider the structure of the Earth in the diagram.
The lithosphere breaks up into solid tectonic plates. These are rigid blocks that move relative to each other. There are points of connection and break. It is their contact that leads to earthquakes, volcanic activity, the creation of mountains and ocean trenches.
There are 7 main plates: Pacific, North American, Eurasian, African, Antarctic, Indo-Australian and South American.
Our planet is remarkable in that approximately 70.8% of the surface is covered with water. The bottom map of the Earth shows tectonic plates.
The earth landscape is different everywhere. The submerged surface resembles mountains and features underwater volcanoes, oceanic trenches, canyons, plains, and even oceanic plateaus.
During the development of the planet, the surface was constantly changing. Here it is worth considering the movement of tectonic plates, as well as erosion. The transformation of glaciers, the creation of coral reefs, meteorite impacts, etc. also affect.
The continental crust is represented by three varieties: magnesium rocks, sedimentary and metamorphic. The first is divided into granite, andesite and basalt. Sedimentary is 75% and is created during the disposal of accumulated sediment. The latter is formed during icing of sedimentary rock.
From the lowest point, the surface height reaches -418 m (on the Dead Sea) and rises to 8848 m (the summit of Everest). The average height of land above sea level is 840 m. The mass is also divided between hemispheres and continents.
The outer layer contains soil. This is a kind of line between the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Approximately 40% of the surface is used for agricultural purposes.
Atmosphere and temperature of planet Earth
There are 5 layers of the earth's atmosphere: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. The higher you go, the less air, pressure and density you will feel.
Closest to the surface is the troposphere (0-12 km). It contains 80% of the mass of the atmosphere, with 50% located within the first 5.6 km. Consists of nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) with impurities of water vapor, carbon dioxide and other gaseous molecules.
In the interval of 12-50 km we see the stratosphere. It is separated from the first tropopause - a feature with relatively warm air. This is where the ozone layer is located. The temperature rises as the interlayer absorbs ultraviolet light. The atmospheric layers of the Earth are shown in the figure.
It is a stable layer and virtually free from turbulence, clouds and other weather formations.
At an altitude of 50-80 km is the mesosphere. This is the coldest place (-85°C). It is located near the mesopause, which extends from 80 km to the thermopause (500-1000 km). The ionosphere lives within 80-550 km. Here the temperature rises with altitude. In the photo of the Earth you can admire the northern lights.
The layer is devoid of clouds and water vapor. But it is here that the auroras are formed and the International Space Station (320-380 km) is located.
The outermost sphere is the exosphere. This is a transitional layer to outer space, devoid of atmosphere. Represented by hydrogen, helium and heavier molecules with low density. However, the atoms are so widely dispersed that the layer does not behave like a gas, and the particles are constantly escaping into space. lives here most of satellites.
This score is influenced by many factors. The Earth makes an axial rotation in 24 hours, which means that one side always experiences night and lower temperatures. In addition, the axis is tilted, so the northern and southern hemispheres take turns deviating and approaching.
All this creates seasonality. Not every part of the earth experiences sharp drops and rises in temperatures. For example, the amount of light entering the equatorial line remains virtually unchanged.
If we take the average, we get 14 ° C. But the maximum is 70.7°C (Lut Desert), and the minimum of -89.2°C was reached at the Soviet station Vostok on the Antarctic Plateau in July 1983.
Moon and Earth's asteroids
The planet has only one satellite, which affects not only the physical changes of the planet (for example, tides), but also reflected in history and culture. To be precise, the Moon is the only celestial body on which a person walked. It happened on July 20, 1969, and Neil Armstrong got the first step. Generally speaking, 13 astronauts landed on the satellite.
The moon appeared 4.5 billion years ago due to the collision of the Earth and a Martian-sized object (Theia). You can be proud of our satellite, because it is one of the largest moons in the system, and also ranks second in density (after Io). It is in a gravitational lock (one side always faces the Earth).
It covers 3474.8 km in diameter (1/4 of the Earth's), and its mass is 7.3477 x 10 22 kg. The average density is 3.3464 g/cm 3 . According to gravity, it reaches only 17% of the earth. The moon affects the earth's tides, as well as the activity of all living organisms.
Do not forget that there are lunar and solar eclipses. The first happens when the Moon enters the Earth's shadow, and the second happens when a satellite passes between us and the Sun. The satellite's atmosphere is weak, which causes temperature readings to fluctuate greatly (from -153°C to 107°C).
Helium, neon and argon can be found in the atmosphere. The first two are created by the solar wind, and argon is due to the radioactive decay of potassium. There is also evidence of frozen water in the craters. The surface is divided into different types. There is Maria - flat plains, which ancient astronomers took for the seas. Terras are lands, like highlands. You can even see mountainous areas and craters.
Earth has five asteroids. Satellite 2010 TK7 resides at point L4, and asteroid 2006 RH120 approaches the Earth-Moon system every 20 years. If we talk about artificial satellites, then there are 1265 of them, as well as 300,000 pieces of garbage.
Formation and evolution of the planet Earth
In the 18th century, mankind came to the conclusion that our terrestrial planet, like the entire solar system, emerged from a foggy cloud. That is, 4.6 billion years ago, our system resembled a circumstellar disk, represented by gas, ice and dust. Then most of it approached the center and, under pressure, transformed into the Sun. The remaining particles created the planets known to us.
The primordial Earth appeared 4.54 billion years ago. From the very beginning, it was melted due to volcanoes and frequent collisions with other objects. But 4-2.5 billion years ago, solid crust and tectonic plates appeared. Degassing and volcanoes created the first atmosphere, and ice that arrived on comets formed the oceans.
The surface layer did not remain frozen, so the continents converged and moved apart. Approximately 750 million years ago, the very first supercontinent began to diverge. Pannotia was created 600-540 million years ago, and the last (Pangaea) collapsed 180 million years ago.
The modern picture was created 40 million years ago and fixed 2.58 million years ago. The last ice age, which began 10,000 years ago, is currently underway.
It is believed that the first hints of life on Earth appeared 4 billion years ago (the Archean eon). Due to chemical reactions, self-replicating molecules appeared. Photosynthesis created molecular oxygen, which together with ultraviolet rays formed the first ozone layer.
Further, various multicellular organisms began to appear. Microbial life arose 3.7-3.48 billion years ago. 750-580 million years ago, most of the planet was covered with glaciers. Active reproduction of organisms started during the Cumbrian explosion.
Since that moment (535 million years ago), history has 5 major extinction events. The last (the death of dinosaurs from a meteorite) occurred 66 million years ago.
They were replaced by new species. The African ape-like animal stood up on its hind legs and freed its forelimbs. This stimulated the brain to apply various tools. Further, we know about the development of crops, socialization and other mechanisms that led us to modern man.
Reasons why planet earth is habitable
If the planet meets a number of conditions, then it is considered potentially habitable. Now the Earth is the only lucky one with developed life forms. What is needed? Let's start with the main criterion - liquid water. In addition, the main star must provide enough light and heat to maintain the atmosphere. An important factor is the location in the habitat (the distance of the Earth from the Sun).
You have to understand how lucky we are. After all, Venus is similar in size, but because of its proximity to the Sun, it is a hell of a hot place with acid rain. And Mars behind us is too cold and has a weak atmosphere.
Planet earth research
The first attempts to explain the origin of the Earth were based on religion and myths. Often the planet became a deity, namely a mother. Therefore, in many cultures, the history of everything begins with the mother and the birth of our planet.
The shape is also very interesting. In ancient times, the planet was considered flat, but different cultures added their own characteristics. For example, in Mesopotamia, a flat disk floated in the middle of the ocean. The Maya had 4 jaguars holding the heavens. For the Chinese, it was generally a cube.
Already in the 6th century BC. e. scientists sewed to a round shape. Surprisingly, in the 3rd century BC. e. Eratosthenes even managed to calculate the circle with an error of 5-15%. The spherical shape was fixed with the advent of the Roman Empire. Aristotle spoke about changes in the earth's surface. He believed that this happens too slowly, so a person is not able to catch. This is where attempts to understand the age of the planet arise.
Scientists are actively studying geology. The first catalog of minerals was created by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century AD. In the 11th century in Persia, explorers studied Indian geology. The theory of geomorphology was created by the Chinese naturalist Shen Guo. He identified marine fossils located far from the water.
In the 16th century, understanding and exploration of the Earth expanded. It is worth thanking the heliocentric model of Copernicus, which proved that the Earth does not act as a universal center (previously they used the geocentric system). And also Galileo Galilei for his telescope.
In the 17th century, geology was firmly entrenched among other sciences. It is said that the term was coined by Ulysses Aldvandi or Mikkel Eschholt. The fossils discovered at that time caused serious controversy in the earth age. All religious people insisted on 6,000 years (as the Bible said).
These disputes ended in 1785 when James Hutton declared that the Earth was much older. It was based on the blurring of rocks and the calculation of the time required for this. In the 18th century, scientists were divided into 2 camps. The former believed that the rocks were precipitated by floods, while the latter complained about the fiery conditions. Hutton stood in firing position.
The first geological maps of the Earth appeared in the 19th century. The main work is "Principles of Geology", published in 1830 by Charles Lyell. In the 20th century, it became much easier to calculate the age thanks to radiometric dating (2 billion years). However, already the study of tectonic plates has led to a modern mark of 4.5 billion years.
The future of planet Earth
Our life depends on the behavior of the Sun. However, each star has its own evolutionary path. It is expected that in 3.5 billion years it will increase in volume by 40%. This will increase the flow of radiation, and the oceans may simply evaporate. Then plants will die, and in a billion years all living things will disappear, and a constant average temperature will be fixed at around 70 ° C.
In 5 billion years, the Sun will transform into a red giant and shift our orbit by 1.7 AU.
If you look through the entire earth's history, then humanity is just a fleeting flash. However, the Earth remains the most important planet, a native home and a unique place. One can only hope that we will have time to populate other planets outside our system before the critical period of solar development. Below you can explore the map of the Earth's surface. In addition, on our site there are many beautiful photos of the planet and places of the Earth from space to high resolution. With the help of online telescopes from the ISS and satellites, you can observe the planet in real time for free.
Click on the image to enlarge it
Earth, with an average distance of 149,597,890 km from the Sun, is the third and one of the most unique planets in the solar system. It formed about 4.5-4.6 billion years ago and is the only planet known to support life. This is due to a number of factors, such as atmospheric composition and physical properties, such as the presence of water, covering about 70.8% of the planet's surface, allow life to flourish.
Earth is also unique in that it is the largest of the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) composed of a thin layer of rock compared to the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus). In terms of mass, density, and diameter, Earth is the fifth largest planet in the entire solar system.
Earth size: mass, volume, circumference and diameter
Terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars)
As the largest of the terrestrial planets, the Earth has an estimated mass of 5.9722±0.0006×10 24 kg. Its volume is also the largest of these planets, at 1.08321×10¹² km³.
In addition, our planet is the densest of the terrestrial planets, as it consists of a crust, mantle and core. The Earth's crust is the thinnest of these layers, while the mantle makes up 84% of the Earth's volume and extends 2,900 km below the surface. The core is the component that makes the Earth the most dense. It is the only terrestrial planet with a liquid outer core surrounding a solid, dense inner core.
The average density of the Earth is 5.514×10 g/cm³. Mars, the smallest of the Earth-like planets in the solar system, has only about 70% of the density of Earth.
Earth is also classified as the largest of the terrestrial planets in circumference and diameter. The equatorial circumference of the Earth is 40,075.16 km. It is slightly smaller between the North and South Poles - 40,008 km. The Earth's diameter at the poles is 12,713.5 km, while at the equator it is 12,756.1 km. For comparison, the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter, has a diameter of 142,984 km.
earth shape
Hammer-Aitov projection
The circumference and diameter of the Earth differ because its shape is an oblate spheroid or ellipsoid instead of a true sphere. The planet's poles flatten slightly, resulting in a bulge at the equator and thus a larger circumference and diameter.
The Earth's equatorial bulge is 42.72 km and is caused by the planet's rotation and gravity. Gravity itself causes planets and other celestial bodies to contract and form into a sphere. This is due to the fact that it pulls the entire mass of the object as close as possible to the center of gravity (the earth's core in this case).
As the planet rotates, the sphere is distorted by the centrifugal force. This is the force that causes objects to move outward from the center of gravity. As the Earth rotates, centrifugal force is greatest at the equator, so it causes a slight outward bulge, giving that area a large circumference and diameter.
Local topography also plays a role in the shape of the Earth, but it is negligible on a global scale. The largest differences in local topography around the world are Mount Everest, the highest point above sea level, 8,848 m, and the Mariana Trench, the lowest point below sea level, 10,994 ± 40 m. This difference is only about 19 km, which is very negligible on a planetary scale. Considering the equatorial bulge, the highest point in the world and the place furthest from the center of the earth is the summit of the Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador, which is the highest peak near the equator. Its height is 6267 m.
Geodesy
To correctly study the size and shape of the Earth, geodesy is used, the branch of science responsible for measuring the size and shape of the Earth through surveys and mathematical calculations.
Throughout history, surveying has been an important branch of science since early scientists and philosophers tried to determine the shape of the earth. Aristotle is the first person credited with attempting to calculate the size of the Earth and thus an early surveyor. Then followed the Greek philosopher Eratosthenes, who estimated the circumference of the Earth at 40,233 km, which is only a little more than the measurement accepted today.
To explore the Earth and use geodesy, researchers often refer to ellipsoid, geoid, and datum. Ellipsoid is theoretical mathematical model, which shows a smooth, simplified view of the Earth's surface. It is used to measure distances on a surface without taking into account factors such as changes in elevation and landforms. Given the reality of the earth's surface, surveyors use the geoid, a model of the planet that is built using global mean sea level and therefore takes into account elevation changes.
The basis of geodesy today is the data that act as reference points for global geodetic work. Today, technologies such as satellites and global positioning systems (GPS) allow surveyors and other scientists to make extremely accurate measurements of the Earth's surface. In fact, they are so accurate that they provide data on the Earth's surface to the nearest centimeter, providing the most accurate measurements of the size and shape of the Earth.
The Earth is in the third order in terms of distance from the Sun. It belongs to the class of terrestrial planets and is the largest in this group. As far as we know now, the unique difference of the Earth is that it has life. It was found that age of the earth is about 4.54 billion years. It was formed from cosmic dust and gas - these were the substances left after the formation of the Sun.
In the initial period of existence, our planet was in a liquid state. But over time, the reactions slowed down, the temperature dropped, and the Earth's surface began to take on a solid shape. Gradually, an atmosphere began to form. Water appeared on the surface - it entered the atmosphere in the form of ice along with asteroids and other small celestial bodies. The impact of falling comets and asteroids affected the geographic relief of the Earth, temperature, and others. climatic conditions on its surface.
How did the appearance of the satellite of our planet? Scientists believe that the Moon was formed as a result of a global astronomical catastrophe, when the Earth tangentially collided with a huge celestial body, not inferior in size to itself. From the fragments of this asteroid, a ring was formed around the Earth, gradually transforming into the Moon. The moon has a noticeable effect on our planet, it is the cause of the ebb and flow of the world's oceans, and even leads to a slowdown in the movement of the Earth.
After the appearance of the oceans in the atmosphere of our planet, the accumulation of oxygen began. There is still no unambiguous theory of the origin of life on earth, but it is believed that as a result of various chaotic interactions of cells with each other, more and more complexly organized cells were formed, which gave rise to the simplest multicellular creatures. Gradually, life developed, and over time, the ozone layer allowed living organisms to reach land.
The surface of the Earth is not static. The continents are in motion, and what you can see on the map now is the result of constant change. It is believed that the first supercontinent, as a result of some internal or external influences, split into parts and formed a new supercontinent Pannotia about 550 million years ago, and later Pangea, which also began to separate about 200 million years ago.
Coastal areas often have a milder climate than inland areas. For example, sea and coastal breezes can affect the climate. The surface of the Earth is warming up many times faster than the waters of the sea. In the daytime, warm air rises from the bottom to the top, while the cold air that comes from the sea takes the place of the departed warmer one. With the onset of night, the reverse process begins to occur. Due to the fact that the water in the sea cools much more slowly than the land, the breezes from the land blow on the sea.
On the temperature regime also influenced by the numerous currents of the oceans. The Atlantic Ocean is crossed diagonally by the warm current of the Gulf Stream, starting its crossing in the Gulf of Mexico and ending it already at the northwestern European coast. The sea winds that blow over the Gulf Stream towards the coast create a rather mild climate for this part of Europe, milder than on the coasts of North America located at the same latitudes. The climate is also affected by cold ocean currents. For example, the Benguela Current off the African coasts of the southwestern regions and off the western South American coasts cools the tropics, otherwise it would be much hotter there.
In the central parts of the continents, far from the softening sea influences, one can observe a harsh continental climate, which has both hot summers and cold winters.
The word “continent” has Latin roots and if we translate the word “continere” literally, we get the phrase “stick together”, this word is not always applied to land, but it implies unity in structure.
The largest continent of the Earth is Eurasia. Eurasia includes Europe and Asia, these are the two parts of the world in which most of the earth's population lives.
Africa is the second largest continent of the Earth, which stretches on both sides of the equator.
South America, along with North America, are located in the western part of the Earth, and like Africa on both sides of the equator. Since these two continents are connected by the narrow Isthmus of Panama, then, in fact, this mainland should be considered one big one.
Australia is the smallest continent on Earth. It is almost 100% located in the hot zone in the southern hemisphere.
The highest continent on Earth is Antarctica. This continent is also the most severe in all biological conditions of life.
As for countries, they are classified in a variety of ways. For example, they can be classified depending on the size of the territory (the area of Russia is 17 million square kilometers). Countries are also classified by features natural world and location, so there are tropical European or, for example, mountainous countries. A classification takes place, taking into account the diversity and national composition of the population (Slavic, mono, Romanesque, multinational countries), taking into account the form of government and the type of political regime. Also classified according to the degree of independence. The largest countries of the world are distinguished by various criteria, most often the countries occupying the largest area are called the largest.
The largest countries in the world by area are:
1. Russian Federation– 17,075,400 sq. km.
2. Canada - 9,984,670 sq. km.
3. China - 9,596,960 sq. km.
Rarely, you can hear that the most big country on Earth is China. This option is also correct, because here is the largest number of people. Finally, eight countries of the world are singled out the largest in terms of their economic achievements.
These countries form the "Big Eight": Russia, Japan, Italy, Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain and the leader of the entire chain is the United States, which usually stays out of competition, because it has the highest global GDP. India is a country with the most diverse ethnic group. On the territory of India, there are more than five thousand nationalities, peoples and tribes.
At the moment, the surface of the Earth, except for Antarctica and its islands, is shared by about two hundred states.
Antarctica is the largest geographical area that does not belong to any country on the planet Earth. An international treaty states that only scientific activity and it is always necessary to preserve the unique nature of this continent.
On our website you can watch from the International space station, as well as view completely free.
Earth is a unique planet! Of course, this is true in our solar system and beyond. Nothing observed by scientists leads to the idea that there are other planets like the Earth.
Earth is the only planet orbiting our Sun that we know has life.
Like no other planet, ours is covered in green vegetation, a vast blue ocean containing over a million islands, hundreds of thousands of streams and rivers, vast masses of land called continents, mountains, glaciers and deserts that produce a wide variety of colors and textures.
Some forms of life can be found in almost every ecological niche on the surface of the Earth. Even in very cold Antarctica, hardy microscopic creatures thrive in ponds, tiny wingless insects live in patches of mosses and lichens, and plants grow and bloom annually. From the top of the atmosphere to the bottom of the oceans, from the cold part of the poles to the warm part of the equator, life thrives. To this day, no signs of life have been found on any other planet.
The Earth is huge in size, about 13,000 km in diameter, and weighing approximately 5.981024 kg. The Earth is on average 150 million km from the Sun. If the Earth goes much faster on its 584 million km journey around the Sun, its orbit will become larger and it will move farther from the Sun. If it is too far from the narrow habitable zone, all life will cease to exist on Earth.
If this trip gets a little slower in its orbit, the Earth will move closer to the Sun, and if it moves too close, all life will also perish. The Earth travels around the Sun in 365 days, 6 hours, 49 minutes and 9.54 seconds (a sidereal year), more than a thousandth of a second!
If the average annual temperature on the Earth's surface changes by only a few degrees or so, most of the life on it will eventually become fried or frozen. This change will upset the water-glacial relationship and other important balances, with disastrous results. If the Earth spins slower than its axis, all life will die in time, either by freezing at night due to lack of heat from the Sun or by burning during the day from too much heat.
Thus, our "normal" processes on Earth are undoubtedly unique among our solar system, and, according to what we know, throughout the universe:
1. She is a habitable planet. It is the only planet in the solar system that supports life. All forms of life right from the smallest microscopic organisms to huge land and sea animals.
2. Its distance from the Sun (150 million kilometers) is reasonable to give it an average temperature of 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. It's not as hot as Mercury and Venus, and not as cold as Jupiter or Pluto.
BASIC DATA ABOUT PLANET EARTH
Planet Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago.
The Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
Earth is the fifth largest planet in the world and the largest in diameter, mass and density among the terrestrial planets.
Earth's surface area: 510,072,000 km2
Mass of the Earth: 5.9726 1024 kg
The length of the Earth's equator is 40,075 km.
The density of the Earth is higher than any other planet (5.515 g/cm3).
The distance from the Earth to the Sun is almost 150 million km.
It takes the planet Earth about 23 hours 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds to rotate around its axis. AT recent times the day has shortened by hundredths of a second, indicating that angular velocity the planet has grown. The factors causing this increase have not been established.
The speed of rotation of the Earth around is 107,826 km/h.
The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of 23.44° relative to the plane of the ecliptic. It is because of this tilt that we have a change of seasons on planet Earth: summer, winter, spring and autumn.
The Earth is not a perfect sphere, due to the force of rotation, the Earth is actually convex at the equator.
Hot magma is located in the Earth's core. Not a single drilling rig will be able to reach the core of our planet for at least the next few hundred years.
The molten iron core of our planet creates the Earth's magnetic field. The continuous work of the Earth's magnetic field is influenced by two factors: its rotation and the impact of the core, the molten mass of which includes nickel and iron.
SATELLITES
Our planet has one natural satellite -.
The fate of the moon has not yet been clarified. It is not known exactly how it was formed.
The tides on Earth are due to the activity of the Moon.
Earth has 2 additional asteroids. They are called 3753 Cruithne and 2002 AA29.
Between the Earth and the Moon, you can place all the planets of the solar system.
THE PRESENCE OF LIFE
Earth is the only planet where a complex form of life exists. It has the necessary amount of water and other conditions that are essential for the existence of any form of life.
Throughout the history of the Earth, about 108 billion people have lived on it. Seven billion live here now. And you are one of them.
Only on Earth can one observe three states of water (solid, gaseous, liquid).
ATMOSPHERE
The Earth's atmosphere reaches up to 10,000 kilometers.
Thanks to the Earth's atmosphere, which consists of oxygen, nitrogen and other gases, we are not exposed to constant fall and radioactive solar radiation.
In 2006, an ozone hole was discovered over Antarctica, which is the largest hole ever discovered.
Every year, about 30,000 tons of interplanetary dust reach the Earth's surface.
CONTAINERS AND ISLANDS
At the moment, the planet Earth has 6 continents.
List of continents of our planet: Eurasia, North America, South America,.
It is extremely difficult to calculate the exact number of islands on our earth, because some islands appear, while others, on the contrary, disappear. There is an approximate figure - about 500,000, but this is only a hypothesis, perhaps a little more, and perhaps a little less. But you can name, for example, the 4 largest islands on Earth and these are: New Guinea, the island of Borneo and Madagascar.
2/3 of the reserves are in Antarctica fresh water planets.
In the distant future, Africa will "stumble" into Europe, resulting in the formation of a giant mountain range.
The plates of the earth's crust move at a speed of a few inches per year, which is about the length of a human fingernail growing in a year. On this basis, it can be argued that in 250 million years a new supercontinent will appear on Earth.
The Himalayas are an example of the movement of tectonic plates towards each other.
90% of the earth's ice is stored on one single continent - in Antarctica. In the same place, 2/3 of the planet's freshwater reserves are "hidden".
Over 500,000 earthquakes happen on our planet every year! But only 20% of them people can feel.
OCEANS
About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans.
All the oceans on earth are interconnected, so we can assume that there is one World giant ocean, consisting of four or five parts.
The existence of four oceans on earth is officially recognized: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and the fourth - the Arctic.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the International Hydrographic Organization adopted a division into five parts (the Southern Ocean is added), but at the moment this document is still not legally binding.
Most big ocean on Earth, the Pacific Ocean. Its area is so large that it could easily fit all the continents.
Man has not yet explored 95 percent of the world's oceans.
The longest mountain range on Earth is not on land, but in the oceans. It almost completely encircles the planet.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
The highest point on Earth is, rising almost 9 kilometers (8848 meters) above the Earth's surface. It is located in the Himalayas.
The deepest place on Earth is considered to be located in the Pacific Ocean. It is located 10911 meters below sea level.
The most low temperature registered on the Earth's surface is -89.2 degrees Celsius. It was registered on July 21, 1983 at Vostok station in Antarctica.
The most heat on the surface of the Earth +56.7 Celsius on July 10, 1913 in Death Valley, USA.
The driest among the hottest places on Earth is not the Sahara, but the Atacama Desert. It has never rained in its central part.
SOME MORE FACTS
According to one popular hypothesis, the Earth once shared its orbit with another planet, which scientists called Theia. Many billions of years ago, these planets collided, and as a result of the biggest catastrophe in its history, the Earth gained additional mass and received its own satellite.
Earth is the only planet whose name does not come from Roman or Greek mythology. It comes from the 8th century Anglo-Saxon word "Erda", which means "soil" or "soil".
Unlike other planets, the word Earth has its own name in every nation.
One of the most beautiful natural phenomena on our planet - - arises due to the interaction of charged particles coming from the Sun with the Earth's magnetic field.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not visible from. However, air pollution in China can be seen from space. In addition, you can see from space.