Earth
The third planet in the Solar System is our home, the Earth. Earth is the only planet in our Solar System to have liquid water. The crust of the Earth is split into moving plates. These plates were once close together, forming the continent of Pangea. Over millions of years these plates pulled apart to form the continents we know today. These plates also cause earthquakes.
The Earth is made up of four layers. These are the core, the outer core, the mantle and the crust. The core is made up of nickel and iron and is solid. The outer core of the Earth is a liquid layer of iron, nickel and sulphur. The third layer of the Earth is the mantel. It is made of rock. Finally, there is the surface, also called the crust, which is made of rock.
Earth is a magnificent planet with many forms of life and many different environments. It is the only planet that is capable of sustaining life in the Solar System, but some scientists think that Mars may have had life millions of years ago, but it probobly wasnt complex like it is on Earth.
Our planet also has one moon. The moon's gravity is what causes the high and low tides of the oceans on Earth. The Moon may have also shielded the Earth from certain asteroid impacts, by being in the right place at the right time.
Distance from the sun |
149,597,890 km |
Gravity |
9.766 m/s² 32.041 ft/s² |
Circumference |
40,075 km 24,901 miles |
Radius |
6,378 km 3,963.19 miles |
Mass |
5,973,700,000,000,000, 000,000,000 kg |
Surface Area |
510,065,700 km² |
Lengh of Day |
23.934 Earth hours |
Length of Year |
365.24 Earth days |
Temperature Min/Max |
-88/58 °C |
Atmosphere |
Nitrogen, Oxygen |
