The Earth is the only planet in the known universe where life can be found, with over 8.7 million species. The planet Earth is about 25,000 miles in diameter and 4.54 billion years old, and we are still discovering some of its astonishing secrets. With these 10 incredibly interesting facts about planet Earth, you’ll get to know more about your home planet.
1. Earth Is The Only Planet Not Named After A Divine God Or Goddess.
Except for Earth, all of our solar system’s planets are named after Roman and Greek divines. One theory for the name’s origin is that the term “Earth” is an old Germanic word that simply means “the ground.” Another theory is that the term “Earth” comes from the old English word “ertha” and the Anglo-Saxon word “erda,” both of which signify soil or ground.
2. Millions Of Years Ago, The Earth Could Have Exhibited A Purple Shade.
The first life on Earth could have been as purple as it is green today. Chlorophyll, the primary photosynthetic pigment of plants, absorbs mostly blue and red wavelengths from the Sun while reflecting green wavelengths; it is this reflected light that gives plants their leafy color. Old Earth may have had regions of a magnificent purple tint before the emergence of chlorophyll-based algae turned big swaths of our planet green. Ancient bacteria may have harnessed the Sun’s light using a chemical other than chlorophyll, giving the organisms a violet tint.
3. The Earth Is Neither Flat Nor A Perfect Sphere.
The fact that the Earth is not quite a spherical celestial object is surprising. In the equatorial angle it bugles. This bulge has a radius that is 0.3% larger than the other sections. It indicates that the distance between the poles is 12,714 km, while the diameter of the equator is 12,756 km. There is a massive 42.78 km gap.
4. One Year On Earth Doesn’t Span 365 Days.
It is in fact 365.2564 days. The extra .2564 days every year prompts the need for a Leap Year every four years. That is why, every four years – 2004, 2008, 2012, and so on – we add one extra day to February. The year in question must be divisible by 100 unless it is divisible by 400. Leap years keep our calendar in sync with the Earth’s orbit around the sun, keeping the tracking time system precise enough.
5. The Changing Seasons Occur Due To The Earth’s Orbit Around The Sun.
The Earth’s tilt of 23.4 degrees on its “axis” causes different seasons. This means that at different periods of the year, different sections of the Earth are tilted towards the sun, resulting in changing temperatures and rainfall, climates, and seasons. The axial tilt causes the widely observed seasonal cycle of spring, summer, fall, and winter, each with its own specific set of weather patterns and naturally occurring events.
6. The Movement Of Earth’s Tectonic Plates Is The Reason Behind The Emergence Of Mountains.
When the Earth’s shifting tectonic plates come in close proximity, and drive surface rock upwards, the mountain ranges develop. The Himalayas, one of the familiar mountain ranges, developed roughly 25 million years back when the Indian Peninsula collided with the Eurasian Plate. This collision caused enormous pressure and twisting of rock layers, resulting in the towering peaks we see today.
7. The Day On Earth Is Becoming Lengthier.
The length of a day has changed dramatically over Earth’s 4.6 billion-year history. Initially, it lasted around six hours. This lasted approximately 22 hours approximately 620 million years ago. A typical day currently lasts 24 hours, but it is gradually lengthening by about 1.7 milliseconds every century. The moon’s influence is linked to this phenomenon because the tidal forces it generates slow down Earth’s rotation.
8. The Earth’s Atmosphere is Protected Against Small Cosmic Intruders.
The Earth’s atmosphere shelters the surface from smaller incoming objects, which frequently burn up due to friction with the air. When compared to other solid planets in our solar system, Earth has a relatively low number of visible impact craters. This is due to the fact that Earth is geologically active, with processes of tectonics and erosion reshaping its surface. Volcanic activity and precipitation contribute to the Earth’s ever-changing landscape, ultimately displacing the signs of past impacts.
9. Yearly, The Earth Sees A Reduction In Its Mass.
At the same time that Earth is acquiring mass, it is losing hundreds of tons of mass into space every day as gases leak from the upper atmosphere. Estimates vary, but some scientists think that the Earth gets roughly 44,000 tons of material each year from space dust accretion but loses about 104,000 tons of hydrogen gas from the planet’s atmosphere every year. This overall loss of mass between Earth and space is an ongoing process that contributes greatly to the overall composition and atmospheric balance of the planet Earth.
10. Only A Trio Of People Has Explored The Deepest Point On Earth.
Only three adventurers have reached the Mariana Trench’s deepest known point, the Challenger Deep. This part of the trench is located in the Atlantic and plunges to an unbelievable depth of approximately 36,070 feet (10,972 meters). Among those who have plunged to such depths is the well-known movie director James Cameron.
More Fun Facts About Planet Earth
The planet Earth holds many interesting and fun facts. Some have long been known, while others will have to be solved by future generations. Here is a perfect list of amazing fun facts about planet Earth that everyone should know.
- Gaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin senator and environmental crusader, organized the first-ever Earth Day in 1970. Nelson established it to increase awareness of environmental issues, and April 22 was chosen as a midpoint between Spring Break and final school exams.
- The largest living organism on Earth is a fungus, not a blue whale or a tall tree! The honey mushroom is the world’s largest known organism, covering 2,384 acres in Oregon’s Blue Mountains.
- Scientists believe our planet could be 4.5 billion years old, which is equal to 50 million years.
- If split the Earth’s into heaps of matter, it would yield 32.1% iron, 30.1% oxygen, 15.1% silicon, and 13.9% magnesium.
- Because of Earth’s distance from the Sun, light from the Sun takes approximately 8 minutes and 19 seconds to reach the planet.
- The Earth has a single moon but no rings.
- Earth is known as “the Blue Planet” for a reason. Water comprises 71% of its total surface area, with the ocean covering 96.5% of this water.
- Our solar system’s planets all have gravity. The higher the gravity, the closer an object is to the Earth’s surface. That is why gravity is less at the top of a mountain (for example, Everest) than at the bottom.
- Death Valley has the record for the hottest day ever, measuring 134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913.
- Every year, the Earth’s orbit around the Sun slows, but its rotation around its axis accelerates. This is caused by a combination of processes, including the Moon’s and Sun’s actions, the shifting of materials in different parts of our Solar System, and so on.
