Earth

                              Earth

Earth, our home planet, is the only planet in its Solar systems known to harbor life. All of the things we need to survive are provided under a thin layer of atmosphere that separates us from the uninhabitable void of space.Earth is made up of complex, interactive systems that are often unpredictable. Air, water, land, and life—including humans—combine forces to create a constantly changing world.

Earth: Fast Facts

• Earth is the third planet from the sun and the fifth largest in the solar system.
• Earth is 92,955,820 miles (149,597,891 kilometers) away from the sun.
• At 7,917.5 miles (12,742 km), Earth's diameter is just a few hundred kilometers larger than that of Venus.
• The four seasons are a result of Earth's axis of rotation being tilted more than 23 degrees.
• The length of a year on Earth is 365 days, 6 hours, and 16 minutes.
• The length of a day on Earth is 23 hours and 56 minutes.
• Oceans at least 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) deep cover nearly 70 percent of Earth's surface.
• The minimum weather temperature on Earth is -126 degrees Fahrenheit (-87.8 degrees Celsius) and the maximum weather temperature on Earth is 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 degrees Celsius).
• Fresh water exists in the liquid phase only within a narrow temperature span (32 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit/0 to 100 degrees Celsius). This temperature span is especially narrow when contrasted with the full range of temperatures found within the solar system (from -400 to 900 degrees Farenheit/-300 to 500 degrees Celcius).
• The presence and distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere is responsible for much of Earth's weather.