The earth is the third planet from the sun and the only planet in the solar system that is known to have life on it. The astronomical symbol for the Earth is a Greek Cross (or plus sign) surrounded by a circle.
It orbits the sun every 365.256 days. It reaches its most distant point from the sun at 94.5 million miles (152.1 million kilometers) and its nearest point to the sun at 91.4 million miles (about 147.1 million kilometers). The Earth completes one rotation on its axis in approximately 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds.
The Earth is the densest planet in the solar system. 71% of the Earth's surface is covered with water. 29% of the surface is land. The surface gravity is 32.18 ft/s2 (9.807 m/s2).
The planet consists of seven major land masses called continents and four massive bodies of water called oceans. There are other smaller land masses in the oceans and smaller bodies of water. The smaller land masses are called islands. The smaller bodies of water are called seas and lakes. Rivers and creeks flow across the land masses.
The seven continents are in descending order according to size: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Antarctica is the only continent without a permanent human population. The four oceans are: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean.
The atmosphere consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon, and trace amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases. Surface temperatures on the Earth range from -128.5 ºF (-89.2 ºC) to 134.3 ºF (56.9 ºC). The Earth has a magnetosphere which deflects the solar wind away from the planet.
The equatorial diameter of the Earth is 7926.4 miles (12,756.2 kilometers). The highest point of elevation is Mount Everest. It is 29,029 feet (or approximately 8,848 meters) high. The place on land with the lowest elevation is at the Dead Sea in Israel. It is 1411 feet (or 430 meters) below sea level. The deepest known point in the oceans is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean near Guam. It is at least 36,070 feet (10,994 meters) deep.
Mount Everest