Earth! The planet where we live in. This is the only terrestrial planet where life exists that we call our home.
This rocky planet is the third planet from the sun in our solar system and orbits the sun from an average distance of around 93 million miles. Earth’s unique position from the sun allows the planet to sustain life in it. It is the only planet with liquid surface water and life.
The ocean covers almost 71% of the Earth’s surface, outstripping polar ice, lakes, and rivers making it to refer as a blue planet. The rest, 29% of the Earth’s surface, is land, consisting of continents and islands.
Earth is the largest of the four rocky planets, with an equatorial radius of 6,378 km (3,963 miles), yet it is much smaller than the other gas giants. It has a surface area of about 510,064,472 square kilometers and a circumference of about 40,000 km.
Do you know about earth facts that will blow your mind! for example, do you know how did Earth get its name and how continents were formed? How Earth is different from the other seven planets and so many more to know. Let’s deep dive into knowing some facts on Earth that will surely amaze you!
Top 33 Amazing Facts About Earth
1. How Did Earth Get Its Name?
You will be amazed to know that Earth is the only planet that has not been named after any Mythological God or goddess. The other planets are named after Roman Gods and Goddesses except for planet Earth.
The word Earth is derived from the old English word ‘eorþe,’ which is which means ‘ the ground, soil, land, the human world.’
2. Let’s Know More About Earth’s Surface!
The Earth’s surface area is approximately 510 million kilometers square (197 million sq mi). The ocean covers almost 71% of the Earth’s surface, outnumbering polar ice, lakes, ponds, and rivers. The Earth’s diameter measures a huge 12,800 kilometers.
The rest, 29 percent of the Earth’s surface, comprises continents and islands.
The surface layer of the planet Earth is made up of numerous gradually shifting tectonic plates that interact to build mountain ranges, continents, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
3. Do You Know Earth Is the Third Planet from The Sun in Our Solar System!
There are a total of eight planets in our solar system, namely Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Earth is the third planet from the sun and the only planet to support life.
It is also the fifth largest planet in the solar system regarding its volume and size.
4. It’s Time to Know About Earth’s Atmosphere
The Earth’s atmosphere is mainly made up of nitrogen and oxygen. The composition of an Earth’s atmosphere is 78.084 percent nitrogen, 20.946 percent oxygen, 0.934 percent argon, and small traces of carbon dioxide and other gaseous molecules.
5. The Earth Was Formed Around 4.5 Billion Years Ago
The planet Earth was created around 4.5 billion years ago and is the only known planet to harbors life. The ocean was created throughout the first billion years of Earth’s existence, and thereafter life evolved within it.
Life spread over the world and began to influence the Earth’s atmosphere and surface. Humans first appeared 300,000 years ago and now number about 8 billion.
6. The Sun’s Light Takes Eight Minutes to Reach to Planet Earth
According to NASA, the light from the sun takes approximately 8 minutes and 20 seconds to travel to Earth’s surface. Light travels from the Sun to the earth at the speed of 3 x108 m/s.
7. Earth Orbits Around the Sun and Rotates on its Axis
Like all the planets, Earth also orbits around the Sun, and the moon orbits around the Earth.
Earth orbits around the sun with a speed of over 30 kilometers per second and takes 365 days (one year) to complete one full revolution.
Planet Earth rotates on its axis and is tilted by 23.5 degrees. It takes around 24 hours to complete one rotation.
The rotational tilt of the earth on its axis and the revolution of Earth around the sun causes the Change in Seasons, while the rotation of planet earth on its axis causes the day and night.
8. The Earth’s Surface is Divided into Seven Continents
The Earth’s surface is divided into seven continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.
The five largest bodies of water that surround these continents are the Arctic ocean, Atlantic ocean, Pacific ocean, Indian ocean, and Southern oceans.
9. Earth Is the Only Planet in The Solar System with Liquid Water on The Surface
One of the most amazing facts about Earth is that it is the only planet in the universe with liquid water on the surface. Thereby having a unique cascading effect on the planet Earth. It hydrates the land helping to create nutrient-rich soil.
It collects and pools to form the ocean and freshwater systems. It correctly defines that where there is liquid water, there is life.
10. Earth Is Not Exactly Spherical!
You will be amazed to know that the planet Earth is not exactly spherical. Because of the rotation of the Earth, there is a slight flattening at the poles and a bulging near the equator. As a result, it is oblate spheroid in shape.
11. Mariana Trench – The Deepest Point on the Planet Earth
Mariana Trench, the deepest point on the planet Earth, is located in the Pacific Ocean. It lies 35814 feet below sea level, and its bottom point is known as the Challenger Depth—the lowest point on the planet Earth.
If Mount Everest were to be placed in the trench at this point, its peak would still be more than two kilometers underwater.
12. Mount Everest Is the Highest Mountain Peak on Earth
Mount Everest is the highest mountain peak on the planet, located in Nepal and Tibet. It is the highest point above the mean sea level, at an elevation of 8848 meters.
You will be amazed to know that it is still growing at a pace of approximately 40 centimeters each century.
13. Planet Earth is the Largest and the Most Massive Planet out of the Four Rocky Planets
The first four planets in the solar system, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are referred to as solar-terrestrial(rocky) planets.
Earth is the largest of the four inner terrestrials (rocky) planets and the most massive planet, with an equatorial radius of 6,378 km (3,963 miles), yet it is much smaller than the outer solar system’s gas giants.
14. Earth Weighs Approximately 5.97 kgs
The mass of the planet Earth is around 5.97kg. It is largely made up of iron (32.1%), oxygen (30.1%), silicon (15.1%), magnesium (13.9%), Sulphur (2.9%), nickel (1.8%), calcium (1.5%), and Aluminium (1.4%), with trace amounts of other elements accounting for the remaining 1.2 percent.
15. Earth’s Rotation About Its Axis Is Slowing Down Gradually
You will be surprised to know that the Earth’s rotation is steadily slowing. The Earth’s rotation slows down very slowly, at 17 milliseconds per hundred years.
This will eventually prolong our days, but this will take approximately 140 million years for our days to lengthen from 24 to 25 hours.
16. The Earth’s Ozone Layer Present in Earth’s Atmosphere Protects Us from Sun’s Harmful Uv Radiations
The Earth has a protective layer known as the Ozone layer, which exists between 15 and 30 kilometers above the earth and protects humans and other living things from the sun’s harmful UV radiation.
It acts as a shield as it absorbs all the ultraviolet rays coming from the sun, which can cause severe skin-related problems.
The loss of the ozone layer could have significant consequences for human health and the environment.
17. Freshwater Accounts for Only 3% of All Water on The Planet
One of the amazing facts about Earth is that freshwater only represents three percent of all water on the Earth.
The oceans and seas contain the remaining 97 percent of the Earth’s water, but it is salty and unfit for drinking. 3% of total freshwater is present in liquid form on the earth’s surface.
18. The World’s Oldest Temple Göbekli Tepe Is Around 12,000 Years Old
Göbekli Tepe, the oldest known temple, is located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is believed that the World’s oldest temple is around twelve thousand years old.
Researchers believe that the carvings on the pillars suggest that a comet strike caused a significant dip in temperature on our planet some two thousand years ago.
19. Continents Will Reunite In 250 Million Years
You will be surprised to know that Continents will reunite in the next 250 million years. As we know, Pangea, a supercontinent that existed around 335 to 175 million years ago, split into two different continents, forming Laurasia and Gondwana. Later, the two splits to form seven continents.
Researchers and Scientists believe that the continent will group to form Pangea again in the next 250 to 300 million years, making it one of the most unbelievable and amazing facts about Earth.
20. Earth’s Atmosphere Has Borders
One of the amazing facts about Earth is that our planet Earth has atmospheric borders. The Kármán line separates the earth’s atmosphere and outer space.
The Kármán line is the internationally accepted line that lies at an altitude of 62 miles above sea level.
Even though the Earth’s atmosphere finishes far higher, the World Air Sports Federation designated this line as the boundary between the atmosphere and outer space.
21. The Moon Was Once a Part of Earth
The oxygen and titanium levels on the Moon are fairly similar to those on Earth. According to Swedish scientists, 4.36 billion years ago, planet Earth collided with the hypothesized planetary-mass object Theia, resulting in the development of Earth’s only permanent natural satellite.
22. Earth’s Gravity Is Unevenly Distributed!
You would be surprised to know that the Earth’s gravity is unevenly distributed. The gravitational field of Earth would have been the same everywhere if it were a perfect sphere.
The planet’s surface is uneven, and water flow, ice drift, as well as the movement of the tectonic plates beneath Earth’s crust all alter gravity’s pull. These changes are referred to as Earth’s gravity anomalies.
The Earth’s mass is spread among numerous landforms and features, such as mountain ranges, oceans, and deep-sea depths, each with a different mass, resulting in an uneven gravity field.
One of the mysterious gravitational anomalies can be found in Canada’s Hudson Bay, making it totally one of Earth’s mind-blowing and amazing facts. This region has lower gravity than other regions, and according to a 2007 study, the cause of this gravitational anomaly is now-melted glaciers.
23. Mount Everest Is Not the Tallest Mountain in The World
It’s shocking to know that Mount Everest is not the tallest mountain globally. Mauna Kea in Hawaii is 13,795 feet (4,205 meters) above sea level. However, the most considerable portion of the volcano lies below sea level.
Mauna Kea is 33,475 feet (10,203m) tall from base to summit, making it 4,445 feet (1,335m) taller than Mount Everest.
24. The World’s Longest Mountain Range Is Not on The Earth’s Surface
The mid-ocean ridge located in the Atlantic ocean is the world’s most extended mountain range. It is not on Earth’s surface but underwater spanning around 40,389 miles around the globe, making it a truly global landmark.
Approximately 90% of the mid-ocean ridge system lies underwater. This network of mountains and valleys crisscrosses the globe, similar to baseball seams. It is generated due to the movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates.
Mountains and valleys form along the seafloor when the tectonic plates push apart, and magma rises to fill the gaps. A new ocean floor is formed as the Earth’s crust stretches.
The worldwide mid-ocean ridge system is the world’s most extensive single volcanic feature. The mid-ocean ridge comprises thousands of isolated volcanoes or volcanic ridge segments that erupt regularly.
It is one of the amazing facts about Earth to know that Andes mountain is not the world’s longest mountain range, but the mid-ocean ridge which is the underwater one.
25. The Driest Place on Earth Is Located in Antarctica, Not in Chile
You will be surprised to know that the driest place on Earth is located in Antarctica.
It is widely assumed that the Atacama desert in Chile is the driest, with no rainfall for thousands of years.
However, no rain has fallen in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica in approximately two million years. Winds can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour here, making it one of the amazing facts about Earth to learn.
26. Earth Has a Strong Magnetic Field
It is believed that the earth has a strong magnetic field. Two components are thought to contribute to Earth’s powerful magnetic field.
It has a nickel-iron core and a relatively fast axial rotation. The Earth’s magnetic field is critical for our home planet because it protects it from the solar wind.
We believed that our planet’s magnetic field was steady and stable, but it is constantly changing.
Scientists believe that the northern magnetic field has drifted 685 miles northwestward across the Canadian Arctic since the nineteenth century. The Southern magnetic pole/south pole is always moving. This is known as the Pole Migration. It is one of the must-known amazing facts about Earth
27. Our Planet Is Covered in Gold
Surprised! I know it’s hard to believe, but in fact, our planet can be covered in gold if we extract all the gold from our planet.
Nearly 20 million tons of gold can be found on our planet and in the seas! If all of the precious metal could be retrieved, it would be enough to cover the entire planet in a two-foot coating of gold.
One of Earth’s inhabitants would get 9 pounds of this treasure. The metal is highly diluted, and you can get a gram of gold for every 100 million tons of seawater.
28. The Sun is One Astronomical Unit Away from Earth
According to scientists, the approximate average distance between the Earth and the Sun is one astronomical unit. It is approximately 93 million miles (150 million kilometers), or 8 light minutes.
The universe is vast, and researchers occasionally use astronomical units to express how far apart celestial objects are.
29. Our Earth Is Called a Blue Planet
As far as we know, Earth is the only planet known to have life. Millions of plant and animal species, including humans, call the planet Earth home.
Water covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, making oceans more than twice the area of all land on the planet. Because Earth contains so much water, it is commonly referred to as the Blue Planet.
The remaining 30% is the solid crust above sea level, which is referred to as the continental crust.
30. Our Mother Earth Used to Be Purple
Shocking to hear! Earth used to be purple. I know you must be thinking about how it could be possible.
According to the scientist Shiladitya DasSarma, ancient microbes may have harnessed the Sun’s light using a chemical called retinal other than chlorophyll, giving the organisms a violet color.
That period would have occurred around 2,5 to 3.5 billion years ago, before the Great Oxygenation Event, most likely caused by the birth of chlorophyll-based photosynthesis, making it one of the amazing facts about Earth one may find fascinating to learn about it.
31. Every Day, 60 Tons of Cosmic Dust Fall on Earth
Cosmic dust is enchanting to hear but do you where it comes from? Maybe you are inhaling a good amount of dust every second. So, what this cosmic dust is all about?
Daily dust from comets, meteorites, and other solar bodies falls to earth in the form of tiny particles that increase sodium levels and the planet’s atmosphere.
Scientist suggests that the Earth receives around 60 tons of cosmic dust daily, making it one of the amazing facts about earth that one should know about.
32. Earth May Have Hidden Moons
Fascinating to hear! We all know that Earth has one moon, but there are two more asteroids, namely 3753 Cruithne and 2002 AA29, locked into our co-orbital orbits with our planet Earth. Earth might have hidden moons.
The first one, 3753 Cruithne, don’t circle the earth but has some sort of synchronized orbit with the planet, which is why it looks like it’s following the earth in a stable orbit while, in reality, it has its specific path around the sun.
The other one, 2002 AA29, follows a horseshoe orbit around the planet, bringing it closer to us every 95 years. Scientists believe that it could be a viable target for a space exploration mission in the future. It is one of the amazing facts about Earth that you will find exciting and surprising.
33. Asia Is the Largest Continent on The Earth
Asia is the world’s most populous and largest continent, occupying the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres.
Asia has a land area of 44,579,000 square kilometers (17,212,000 square miles), which comprises about 30 percent of the total area of land and 8.7 percent of the Earth’s total surface area.
Many of the early civilizations were founded on this continent, and it is also home to the majority of the human population. Its 4.7 billion people account for nearly 60% of the world’s total population.
So, these were the amazing facts about Earth. I hope you find these facts useful and full of surprises and amazement.
Last Updated on by Steffy Michael
