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Earth By The Numbers

Ahhh, Earth. Our home planet and oasis in space. You’re probably very familiar with this world, but here are a few things you may not know about our “Pale Blue Dot” of a planet.

From the vantage point of space, we are able to observe our planet globally using sensitive instruments to understand the delicate balance among its oceans, air, land and life. Satellite observations help study and predict weather, drought, pollution, climate change and many other phenomena that affect the environment, economy and society. 

1. Known to Harbor Life

Of the nine planets, countless asteroids and meteors in our solar system, Earth is the only one known to harbor life. It has a thin layer of atmosphere that separates us from the coldness of space.

2.  All By Its Lonesome

Unlike some other planets in the system that have three or more rings, the Earth has zero, but we do have one lonely moon that orbits us.

3. Moving At The Speed Of Life

Earth is the third planet from the sun and is located about 93,000,000 miles away from it. At this distance, the Earth moves at 66,000 miles per hour through space to complete its 365 day rotation.

4. You Can Breathe Easy

Earth’s atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and about 1% other ingredients. Most other planets in our solar system have an atmosphere, but Earth’s is the only one that’s breathable. 

5. For Real?

Did you grow up thinking that each calendar year was 365 days long? It’s actually 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 56 seconds...in other words, it’s 365.2564 days long. This is why an extra day is add during a leap year: to help offset this time difference. 

6. Far Out

We measure the distance of planets in our solar system in a measurement known as an Astronomical Unit, or AU. This measurement is based on the distance of the Earth from the sun. Earth is one AU from the sun, while Mars is 1.52 AU and Jupiter is 5.2 AU.

7. Taking Selfies...Before It Was Cool

The first ever photo of Earth was captured on October 24, 1946 when a V-2 test rocket was launched into space from New Mexico.

8. Slumped Over Already

The Earth doesn’t sit upright like you would think. It’s actually sitting on its side a bit, or rotational axis as it’s called, the Earth sits at a 23.45 degree rotational axis spin.

9. How Original...

How did it get the name Earth? The name “Earth” is at least 1,000 years old. All the planets in our system are named after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, except for Earth. The name itself is of English and German origin and simply means “ground”.

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