51 Fun Facts About Earth That Will Prove That It's The Best Planet

As per science, Earth formed at almost the same time as the rest of the planets in the solar system and is the third planet from the Sun.

Here are a few facts that will put you in awe of our mother Earth. There are eight planets in the solar system, namely Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Mercury is the swift planet, Venus is the sister planet, Mars is the red planet, Jupiter, also called the giant planet, is the largest of all planets, Saturn is the ringed planet, Uranus is the sideways planet, and Neptune is the windy planet. Planet Earth is the third planet from the Sun and has aged 4.54 billion years.

April 22nd of every year is celebrated as Earth Day to pledge support for environmental protection and save the planet from further degradation.

Keep reading and explore some exciting facts about the alluring home planet we live on! Read along to find more interesting facts about the name Earth, plate tectonics, tectonic processes, the carbon cycle that support life, imaginary line, and more earth information.

If you enjoyed our quick facts about Earth, then you must also check out Florida facts and facts about Cuba.

Sad Facts About the Earth

It’s quite depressing to know upsetting facts about our mother Earth. Our planet Earth has a distressing climate and a number of environmental concerns that question the very existence of each and every being on this planet every single day.

The planet is being threatened by natural disasters and other man-made calamities each day in different parts of the world, due to evolutionary processes, but primarily due to human negligence.

Did you know that 2020 was the second hottest year on record across the globe? Global temperatures have increased by over 2 F (1.2 C) since the 1850s as a result of vicious human activities that have triggered an increase in the emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

A sudden soar in temperature has been noted since 2015 and will continue for years to come owing to grave human practices.

Persisting climate change will cause droughts in the coming years, which might continue for decades, impacting the rich and poor alike. With an increased temperature and resultant melting of ice, the sea level is likely to go higher, flooding the low-lying areas of the world.

There are numerous other facts that call into question our very existence, like the mounting rates of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere, the rising emission of poisonous gases, the disposal of plastic waste harming the natural resources of the Earth, the unwelcomed number of diseases leaving the entire population gazing at the sky, relentless deforestation, unprecedented natural disasters, and dying marine life, all of which are disheartening to hear about.

Hawaii has the most active volcanoes on Earth.

Do you know that the Earth goes through a regeneration phase once every 500 million years? As a result of pressures on oceanic and continental crusts, the Earth is never solid, but undergoes a kind of renovation!

The most dreadful earthquake to hit the Earth was in Chile in 1960, while the largest earthquake to hit the US was in Alaska, with a magnitude of 9.2 on the Richter scale in 1964. It's dismaying to note that the freshwater resources of the Earth are also plunging.

The Sun produces solar wind and discharges several charged particles that affect the Earth. It disrupts communication, navigation systems, and satellites. The Canadian blackout of 1989 was one such incident.

Once upon a time, around 250 million years ago, there was just a single continent on Earth, named Pangaea, which was surrounded by a vast ocean called Panthalassa. Around 50 million years later, Pangaea began to break apart to form the continents of Gondwanaland and Laurasia.

Over the years, these masses kept fragmenting into what we see now, the Mother Earth and her seven continents!

About 600 to 800 million years ago, it is said that the Earth was a snowball. The climate was unbearable, with freezing cold all over. Through the years of transformations and transitions, the Earth became an inhabitable place, only to be destroyed by man.

Mathematical Facts About Earth

Do you think this free-floating mass we all live in has any weight? It has. The Earth weighs about 1.32 × 1025 lb (5.972×1024 kg). That's indeed a huge mass. Earth has an area of 196 million sq mi (510.1 million sq km) and has a greater surface area of water than land.

There is a humongous population of 7,256,490,000 people spread across 195 countries. Earth is 1 AU away from the Sun which translates to 93 million mi (150 million km).

We all grew up learning that our planet Earth is round. But is it perfectly round? The answer is no. Earth is not flat, but it is also not perfectly round.

There is a slight bulge of around 0.3% close to the Equator. This is the reason the Earth is said to have an ellipsoid, or simply, a sphere shape. Earth’s diameter from North to South is around 7,907 mi (12,725 km) while the Earth’s diameter is 7,926 mi (12,756 km) through the Equator.

It’s said that, when Earth was formed, the days were roughly six hours long, quite the contrary to the 24 hours we spend now! This is not a woven story.

The moon that influences tides on Earth also slows down the Earth’s rotation. Gradually, this weaves the lengthy days. However, it takes billions and billions of years and won’t take place in a year or two!

It’s delightful to know that Earth orbits around the Sun at a speed of 67000 mph (107826.05 kph)! It takes 365 days, or one whole year, to complete an orbit called an orbital period.

Earth has its own gravity and, thanks to that, we are not floating around arguing for some space here! But is the rate of gravity the same everywhere?

Due to the constant tectonic movements, the oceanic and continental crusts of the Earth are subject to varying pressures and pulls, resulting in gravity anomalies. Mount Nevado Huascaran in Peru has the least gravity on Earth.

What is Earth called in the Bible?

There are many such verses in the Holy Bible that make ruminating references to Earth.

The biblical term for Earth is ‘Adamah’. This word, according to the Bible, is in some ways intricately linked to Adam, who marked the beginning of mankind on Earth. The word ‘Adamah’ has its origin in Hebrews, meaning 'land, ground, or soil'.

What is Earth named after?

Earth has different names in different languages. It’s called ‘terra’ in Portuguese, ‘dunya’ in Turkish, ‘aarde’ in Dutch, and is varyingly named in manifold languages. However, all these names have linked the term with ground or soil, depicting the birth and existence of beings on the soil.

The English word 'Earth' is only about 1000 years old. This is believed to have originated from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘erda’ or ‘erde’ in German, due to which it was called ‘ertha’ in Old English. Almost all the planets in the solar system are named after Greek or Roman mythological gods and goddesses, except Earth.

Did You Know...

Earth is the only planet in the solar system that supports life, and here are some insights into why it's the best!

There is an imaginary axis running across the North and South poles of our home planet. Due to the globe's tilting during its orbit, we have different seasons. This movement of the Earth along its orbit, which is its distinct path, is called a revolution.

It is due to the constant and incredible speed of the Earth that we don't feel its movement. At the same time, the Earth also spins on its own axis, which is why we have days and nights.

The type of orbital motion where the small orbiting body is relative to the larger one is called a horseshoe orbit. Imagine how calculative things are!

It’s surprising to learn that Earth is the only planet with an ample amount of oxygen that ensures the survival and sustenance of plants and beings on Earth. You must be well aware that Earth is also the only planet with consistent and stable bodies of water, which again is inevitable for our survival.

Most of the major planets, except Mercury and Venus, have their own moons. The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite and plays a crucial role in stabilizing our climate by causing tides, making it a habitable place to live.

Earth’s atmosphere has an ozone layer with a thickness of 0.12 in (3 mm). It is this layer that protects her from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

It is sad to say, but due to increased emissions of carbon and other greenhouse gases, holes are appearing in the layer and this will have serious implications for all human beings.

It is of great concern as it causes damage to human health, resulting in skin cancers, eye cataracts, and immune deficiency disorders. It also raises serious ecological concerns, impacting flora, fauna, and rich marine life alike.

Earth receives an ample amount of sunlight, which is the source of energy for us. The sunlight we receive is neither too high nor too low, which is because of our appropriate proximity to the Sun.

Earth is a comfortable and perfect place to live in because a web of organic and inorganic components evolves to make it a habitable place. Any imbalance in the species, processes like photosynthesis, increasing population, declining natural resources, and increased consumption of resources are all complex intertwined processes that make our existence possible on this huge planet.

The Earth has three layers, the core, mantle, and crust. It’s fascinating that the Earth’s crust has several types of minerals.

There is a hot magma interior in the inner core of the Earth which cools and solidifies to form minerals over years. Quartz, feldspar, limestone, sandstone, and dozens of other minerals. known and unknown, are found on Earth’s crust and possess varied uses.

Out of all the planets, the Earth's surface made of rock is the only place compatible for human survival as of yet, considering the air pressure.

However, research has been going on to figure out if any other atmosphere can be compared to the Earth's surface, outer crust, or the fresh crust and atmosphere. The largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter.

The Earth's axis in the planet's orbit is slightly tilted, hence the north pole and the south pole are slightly slanting when inspected from a third-person view.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about Earth then why not take a look at facts about Saturn, or facts about Jupiter.