Additional Data:
|
Diameter: |
12.742 km |
|
Average distance to the sun: |
149.600.000 km |
|
The mass of 1 kg weighs on Earth: |
1.000 g |
|
One year on Earth lasts: |
365 days 6 hours |
|
One day on Earth lasts: |
23 hours 56 minutes |
|
Temperatur on the surface: |
-89°C to 58°C |
|
Orbital velocity: |
29,78 km/s |
|
Orbital inclination: |
0,0001 ° |
|
Orbital excentricity: |
0,0167 |
| Weight: |
1 earth mass or 5,9722 x 1024 kg |
| Dentsity: |
5.514 kg/m³ |
|
Gravitational accelleration: |
9,81 m/s² |
| Escape velocity: |
11,186 km/s |
| Tilt of the rotaional axis: |
23,44 ° |
| Number of moos: |
1 |
| Number of rings: |
0 |
| Number of satellites: |
5.500 |
| Number of space stations: |
2 |
The Earth is about 4.57 billion years old and, like the other celestial bodies, formed during the formation of the solar system. It is the third planet in the solar system and is located in a zone around the Sun where liquid water is possible due to decreasing solar radiation. According to the current state of research, liquid water is a basic prerequisite for life. Earth is the largest rocky planet in our solar system and has a very large moon compared to its size.
The Earth orbits the Sun within 365,256 days. The inclination of its axis of rotation of 23.44 ° ensures that the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere alternately receive different amounts of solar radiation. This is how the seasons typical of the earth are created. The Earth also rotates on its own axis within about 24 hours, which leads to night and day. Due to its gravitational pull, the Earth-Moon not only provides visible tides on the seacoasts, but also stabilizes and slows down the rotation of the Earth.
For almost all of human history, people have been under the misconception that the earth is the center of the universe and that everything else revolves around it. Today we know that the Earth is one of eight planets that orbit the Sun as a central star. The conditions on Earth are so familiar to us that we use them as a benchmark for everything in the universe. The Earth's gravitational pull is so strong that we can just about fly into space on rockets, even if at least 90% of the take-off weight has to be fuel.
The Earth's interior is made up of several layers, including the solid and liquid cores, the outer and inner mantle, and the Earth's crust. The Earth's core consists mainly of iron and nickel. Radioactive elements in the Earth's core ensure that it is not only kept warm by the heat from the time the Earth was formed. Convection currents around the solid core of the Earth generate the Earth's magnetic field. This protects the Earth and its atmosphere from radiation and the solar wind. Like the crust, the Earth's mantle consists of silicon, aluminum and oxygen. The Earth's crust is divided into several continental plates, which are up to 30 km thick, and oceanic plates, which are only 5 to 10 km thick. These plates slide over and below each other and, in addition to volcanoes, ensure a constant build-up of the surface. This creates mountain ranges that can reach heights of up to 9 km.
The Earth is 70% covered by oceans, which are on average 4 km deep and can be up to 11 km deep in some places. The Earth's atmosphere reaches an altitude of 100 km and consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other gases, including carbon dioxide. Clouds are formed with water vapor. The atmosphere on Earth is responsible for the distribution of thermal radiation coming from the sun, which creates the weather. Depending on the composition of the atmosphere, some of the thermal radiation is reflected from the surface and radiated back into space. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide or methane absorb some of this thermal radiation and thus contribute to the warming of the atmosphere. This is referred to as the greenhouse effect. In the upper atmosphere, oxygen molecules also react with radiation from space. This produces ozone, which protects us from UV radiation, for example.
Earth is the only planet we know of that has produced life. According to the current state of research, life began here as early as 100 million years after the Earth was formed. It is based on the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, as well as some trace elements such as iron, copper, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus. Starting from a common ancestor, all living things evolved that can be found on Earth today. The conditions on Earth have changed fundamentally since its formation. The atmosphere, which previously consisted mainly of carbon dioxide, was converted into one of nitrogen and oxygen by organisms that carry out photosynthesis. Oxygen as an energy source made it possible to live a much more active lifestyle. About 600 million years ago, multicellular organisms emerged. Today, they form plants, animals and fungi. They are constantly evolving and adapting to their environment.
Humans evolved 3 million years ago and began actively shaping the Earth about 12,000 years ago. It is only since about 1800 that humans have been able to change the composition of the atmosphere sustainably. People can now live in any part of the world with more or less technical effort. So far, humans are also the only living creatures that have been able to leave their home planet on their own.
