Earth

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This article is about the planet. For other uses, see Earth (disambiguation).

Earth

"The Blue Marble" photograph of Earth, taken during the Apollo 17 lunar mission in 1972.

Orbital characteristics

Epoch J2000[n 1]

Aphelion

151930000 km
(1.01559 AU)[n 2]

Perihelion

147095000 km
(0.9832687 AU)[n 2]

Semi-major axis

149598261 km
(1.00000261 AU)[1]

Eccentricity

0.01671123[1]

Orbital period

365.256363004 d[2]
(1.00001742096 yr)

Average orbital speed

29.78 km/s[3]
(107200 km/h)

Mean anomaly

358.617 deg

Inclination
7.155 deg to Sun's equator;

1.57869 deg[4] to invariable plane;

0.00005 deg to J2000 ecliptic

Longitude of ascending node

Argument of perihelion

11.26064 deg[3] to J2000 ecliptic

102.94719 deg[3]

Satellites
One natural satellite;

1265 operational artificial satellites[5][n 3]

Physical characteristics

Mean radius

Equatorial radius

Polar radius

Flattening

6371.0 km[6]

6378.1 km[7][8]

6356.8 km[9]

0.0033528[10]
1/298.257222101 (ETRS89)

Circumference
40075.017 km (equatorial)

40007.86 km (meridional)

[8]

[11][12]

Surface area
510072000 km2[13][14][n 4]

(148940000 km2 (29.2%) land

361132000 km2 (70.8%) water)

Volume

Mass

1.083211012 km3[3]

5.972191024 kg[15]

(3.010-6 solar mass)

Mean density

5.514 g/cm3[3]

Surface gravity

9.807 m/s2[16]
(1 g)

Moment of inertia factor

0.3307[17]

Escape velocity

11.186 km/s[3]

Sidereal rotation period

0.99726968 d[18]
(23h 56m 4.100s)

Equatorial rotation velocity

1,674.4 km/h (465.1 m/s)[19]

Axial tilt

23 deg 26 min 21.4119 s[2]

Albedo
0.367 geometric[3]

0.306 Bond[3]

Surface temp.

min

mean

max

Kelvin

184 K[20]

288 K[21]

330 K[22]

Celsius

89.2 C

15 C

56.7 C

Atmosphere

Surface pressure

101.325 kPa (at MSL)

Composition by volume
78.08% nitrogen (N2)[3] (dry air)

20.95% oxygen (O2)

0.930% argon

0.039% carbon dioxide[23]

~ 1% water vapor (climate-variable)

Earth, also called the world[n 5] (and, less frequently, Gaia[n 6] or, in Latin, Terra[26]), is the third planet from the Sun, the densest planet in the Solar System, the largest of the Solar
System's four terrestrial planets, and the only astronomical object known to accommodate life. The earliest life on Earth arose at least 3.5 billion years ago.[27][28]
[29]

Earth's biodiversity has expanded continually except when interrupted by mass extinctions.[30] Although scholars estimate that over 99 percent of all species of life (over five

billion)[31] that ever lived on Earth are extinct,[32][33] there are still an estimated 1014 million extant species, [34][35] of which about 1.2 million have been documented and over 86
percent have not yet been described.[36] Over 7.3 billion humans[37] live on Earth and depend on its biosphere and minerals for their survival. Earth's human population is divided
among about two hundred sovereign states which interact through diplomacy, conflict, travel, trade and communication media.
According to evidence from radiometric dating and other sources, Earth was formed about 4.54 billion years ago.[38][39][40] Within its first billion years,[41] life appeared in its oceans
and began to affect its atmosphere and surface, promoting the proliferation of aerobic as well as anaerobic organisms and causing the formation of the atmosphere's ozone
layer.[clarification needed (O3 created from O2 + UV radiation)] This layer blocks the most life-threatening parts of the Sun's radiation, enabling life to flourish on land as well as in water.[42] Since then, the
combination of Earth's distance from the Sun, its physical properties and its geological history have allowed life to thrive and evolve.

Earth's lithosphere is divided into several rigid tectonic plates that migrate across the surface over periods of many millions of years. Seventy-one percent of Earth's surface is
covered with water,[43] with the remainder consisting of continents and islands that together have many lakes and other sources of water that contribute to the hydrosphere.
Earth's polar regions are mostly covered with ice, including the Antarctic ice sheet and the sea ice of the polar ice packs. Earth's interior remains active with a solid iron inner
core, a liquid outer core that generates the magnetic field, and a convecting mantle that drives plate tectonics.
Earth gravitationally interacts with other objects in space, especially the Sun and the Moon. During one orbit around the Sun, Earth rotates about its own axis 366.26 times,
creating 365.26 solar days or onesidereal year.[n 7] Earth's axis of rotation is tilted 23.4 away from the perpendicular of its orbital plane, producing seasonal variations on the
planet's surface with a period of one tropical year (365.24 solar days).[44]The Moon is Earth's only permanent natural satellite. Its gravitational interaction with Earth causes
ocean tides, stabilizes the orientation of Earth's rotational axis, and gradually slows Earth's rotational rate.
Contents
[hide]

1 Chronology

1.1 Formation

1.2 Geological history

1.3 Evolution of life

1.4 Predicted future

2 Name and etymology

3 Composition and structure

3.1 Shape

3.2 Chemical composition

3.3 Internal structure

3.4 Heat

3.5 Tectonic plates

3.6 Surface

3.7 Hydrosphere

3.8 Atmosphere

3.8.1 Weather and climate

3.8.2 Upper atmosphere

3.9 Magnetic field

3.10 Magnetosphere

4 Orbit and rotation

4.1 Rotation

4.2 Orbit

4.3 Axial tilt and seasons

5 Habitability

5.1 Biosphere

5.2 Natural resources and land use

5.3 Natural and environmental hazards

5.4 Human geography

6 Moon

7 Asteroids and artificial satellites

8 Cultural and historical viewpoint

9 See also

10 Notes

11 References

12 Further reading

13 External links