Earth, our home planet, is the only planet in our solar system known to harbor life - life that is incredibly diverse.
All the things we need to survive exist under a thin layer of atmosphere that separates us from the cold, airless void of space.
Spacecraft study Earth from above.
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If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be the size of a nickel.
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Earth is the third planet from the sun at a distance of about 150 million km (93 million miles) or one AU.
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One day on Earth takes 24 hours (this is the time it takes the Earth to rotate or spin once).
Earth makes a complete orbit around the sun (a year in Earth time) in about 365 days.
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Earth is a rocky planet, also known as a terrestrial planet, with a solid and dynamic surface of mountains,
valleys, canyons, plains and so much more. What makes Earth different from the other terrestrial planets is that
it is also an ocean planet: 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered in oceans.
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The Earth's atmosphere is made up of 78 percent nitrogen (N2), 21 percent oxygen (O2) and 1 percent other ingredients -
the perfect balance for us to breathe and live. Many planets have atmospheres, but only Earth's is breathable.
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Earth has one moon. Another name for a moon is satellite.
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Earth has no rings.
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Many orbiting spacecraft study the Earth from above as a whole system and together aid in understanding our home planet.
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Earth is the perfect place for life.
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Earth's atmosphere protects us from incoming meteoroids, most of which break up in our atmosphere before they can strike
the surface as meteorites.
