Earth, Facts about our home in the Solar System
By : John Whitworth / Updated : Jul 16th, 2026 23:49
Contents
Earth is the only known object (planet or moon) in known space that supports life. It is the planet we live on. It provides for all our needs: water, food and oxygen. It has supported life for the last couple of billion years, although it has been microbial life for most of that time.
In fact, the Earth is the only known location in the entire galaxy and Universe that supports life. It is just the right distance from the Sun to be the right temperature, not too hot or cold for life. The zone with the right temperature is known as the Goldilocks Zone, named after the fairy tale. If you expand the parameters of the search for life to the Multiverse, should that exist, then life would exist on some Earths and not exist on others.
Earth is divided into seven continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania. Each of those continents is split into numerous countries, each with its own government and, in some cases, its own language.
Earth Photo
Water distribution
70% of the Earth is covered in water, with the other 30% being land. Only 2.5 per cent of the water is drinkable; the rest is salty. National Geographic
World's Population
The Earth's human population is estimated at 7.3 billion people. It is increasing as we live longer and can fight disease more effectively. By 2100, the world's population is projected to be 11 billion. Some countries' populations are naturally slowing down, but others are increasing relentlessly.
There might well be a tipping point, but when that is, no one knows. It will not be in the short term. The tipping point will likely come when resources are exhausted, and we cannot progress further. BBC
earth Facts
| Position from Sun | 3 |
| Moon Count | The Moon. |
| Type | Rocky Planet. |
| Mass (10^24) kg | 5.9723 |
| Equatorial Radius | 6,378.14 |
| Volumetric Mean Radius | 6,371.00 km |
| Equatorial Circumference | 40,030.2km |
| Mean Density | 5514 |
| Surface Acceleration | 9.78 |
| Orbital Period | 365.256 Days |
| Length of Day | 24 |
| Average Temperature | 288K/15C |
| Distance from the Sun | 149,600,000.00km from the Sun. |
| Orbit Eccentricity | 0.0167 |
| Volume | 108.321 |
| Escape Velocity (km/s) | 11.186 |
| Surface Gravity | 9.798 |
| Atmosphere | 78.084% Nitrogen (N2), 20.946% Oxygen (O2), |
