Well, here we are 93 million miles from the sun or 1 AU. Everybody you know or have known lives on this planet. While Earth is only the fifth largest planet in the solar system, it is the only world in our solar system with liquid water on the surface.
Just slightly larger than nearby Venus, Earth is the biggest of the four planets closest to the Sun, all of which are made of rock and metal. The name Earth is at least 1,000 years old. All of the planets, except Earth, were named after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. However, the name Earth is a Germanic word, which simply means “the ground.”
Earth’s atmosphere is 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and 1 percent other ingredients—the perfect balance to breathe and live. Earth has no rings and one moon.
Our atmosphere protects us from incoming meteoroids, most of which break up in our atmosphere before they can strike the surface.
You probably already know what you weigh on Earth.
Ready to go to the planet that everyone is interested in living on?
