Planet Earth

The Earth is roughly 93 million miles away from the Sun. In our solar system, it is the third planet from the Sun. About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water and most of this water is found in our oceans. The other 30% of the Earth's surface is land. The planet is surrounded by a layer of gases known as the atmosphere. The Earth is very special as it is the only planet known to have living things such as plants and animals. A picture of the Earth can be seen below.

The Earth as seen from space (photo by NASA Goddard photo and video)

The Earth Moves

Although it seems like the Earth is standing still, it is constantly in motion. There are two major ways in which the planet moves. The Earth rotates on its axis and it also revolves around the Sun. We will examine these movements in turn.


Rotation

The Earth constantly spins from west to east around its axis. This movement is known as rotation. The Earth's axis is an imaginary line running from the north pole to the south pole. It takes 24 hours for the Earth to complete one rotation. The rotation of the Earth causes us to experience day and night. Click here to learn more.


Revolution

The Earth also revolves around the Sun. The Earth travels around the Sun at an amazing 67,000 miles per hour. Even traveling at this speed it takes three hundred and sixty-five and a quarter days for the Earth to travel all the way around the Sun. Because the Earth's axis is tilted 23 1/2 degrees, the revolution of the Earth causes us to experience the seasons. Click here to learn more.