Earth

Earth, our home planet, is a beautiful blue and white ball when seen from space. The third planet from the Sun, it is the largest of the inner planets. Earth is the only planet known to support life and to have liquid water at the surface. Earth has a substantial atmosphere and magnetic field, both of which are critical for sustaining life on Earth. Earth is the innermost planet in the solar system with a natural satellite – our Moon. Explore our beautiful home planet – unique in our solar system - through the links in this section.

Scientists at the University of Michigan have found that <a href="/earth/polar/cryosphere_permafrost1.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">permafrost</a> in the <a href="/earth/polar/polar_north.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">Arctic</a> is extremely sensitive to sunlight. Exposure to sunlight releases carbon gases trapped in the permafrost, including <a href="/earth/climate/earth_greenhouse.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">climate-warming</a> <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/carbon_dioxide.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">carbon dioxide</a>, to the <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">atmosphere</a> much faster than previously thought.<p><small><em>George Kling, The University of Michigan</em></small></p>

This is an artist's conception of the
Earth and the inner and outer <a
href="/glossary/radiation_belts.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">radiation belts</a> that surround it. The Earth's radiation belts are just one part of
the system called the <a
href="/earth/Magnetosphere/overview.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">magnetosphere</a>. The radiation belts of the Earth are made up of <a
href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/electron.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">electrons</a>,
<a
href="/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/proton.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">protons</a>
and heavier atomic ions. These particles get trapped in the <a
href="/earth/Magnetosphere/earth_magnetic_field.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">magnetic field of the Earth</a>.
These belts were <a
href="/earth/Magnetosphere/radiation_belts_discovery.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">discovered</a> by James Van Allen in 1958, and so they are known as Van Allen
Belts.<p><small><em>Courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p>

An image of Hurricane Sandy taken by the GOES-13 satellite on October 28. This category 1 <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/hurricane/hurricane.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">hurricane</a> was huge, spanning a horizontal distance of about one-third the US continental landmass. The storm came onshore in New Jersey, and gradually moved northeast. The storm disrupted the lives of tens of millions in the eastern US, doing billions of dollars in damage, resulting in over 30 deaths. Visit the National Hurricane Center's webpage on <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/">Hurricane Sandy</a> for details.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of NASA</em></small></p>

This iconic image of Earth rising above the surface of the <a
href="/earth/moons_and_rings.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">Moon</a>,
was taken on December 24, 1968 by astronauts on the <a
href="/space_missions/apollo8.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">Apollo 8
mission</a>. Apollo 8 was the first <a
href="/space_missions/manned.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">manned
mission</a> to the Moon, and entered into lunar orbit on Christmas Eve. That
evening, the astronauts held a live broadcast from lunar orbit, in which they showed pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their
spacecraft.<p><small><em> Image courtesy of NASA</em></small></p>

A view of the Earth as seen by the <a href="/space_missions/apollo17.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">Apollo
17</a> crew
while traveling to the
<a href="/earth/moons_and_rings.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">Moon</a> on
December 7, 1972. Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula are
visible, and you can barely make out the
<a href="/earth/polar/antarctica.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">Antarctic</a>,
shrouded in the heavy
<a href="/earth/Atmosphere/cloud.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">cloud</a> cover
in the southern hemisphere.
Arching cloud patterns show the presence of <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/front.html&edu=high&dev=1/k=">weather
fronts</a>.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of NASA/Apollo 17.</em></small></p>

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Explore Earth

Earth's Interior and Surface

Earth, the largest and densest rocky planet, was formed about 4.5 billion years ago. The Earth's ...Read more

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and other gases (1%) that surrounds ...Read more

Magnetosphere

The Earth has a magnetic field with north and south poles. The magnetic field of the Earth ...Read more

Moon

The Earth's one natural satellite, the Moon, is more than one quarter the size of Earth itself ...Read more

Earth's Polar Regions

Do you wonder what Earth's Polar Regions are like? Where do polar bears live? Where do penguins ...Read more

Climate and Global Change

Warm near the equator and cold at the poles, our planet is able to support a variety of living ...Read more

Water (The Hydrosphere)

Water is found in many places on Earth including on the surface of the planet, within rocks ...Read more

Life and Ecology (The Biosphere)

What is life? Why is there life on Earth, but not on any other planets in the solar system ...Read more

Natural Hazards

The United Nations estimated that between 1994-2015, there were 6,873 natural disasters worldwide, ...Read more

More about Earth

Global locations of visitors using this page right now

Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science History Calendar (Members only)

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Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Did you know that it can get as cold as -70 degrees Celsius in the Arctic tundra during the winter?

Do you know how photosynthesis works?

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Allotropes

xAllotropes : Forms of an element with different structures and properties when they are in the same state - solid, liquid, gas

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Caribbean Coral Reef Protection Efforts Miss the Mark

Conservation efforts aimed at protecting endangered Caribbean corals may be overlooking regions where corals are best equipped to evolve in response to global warming and other climate challenges. That's...Read more

Science Blogs

Real Climate: climate science from climate scientists

EPA Greenversations

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment

Citizen Science Buzz

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