Beyond the Syllabus: 30 Facts you did not know about the Earth
Do you know which is the longest mountain range on Earth or how long is a normal day on our planet? If you answered the former question with "Andes" and the later with 24 hours, then you my friend are in for a world of surprise, quite literally.
We may keep reading about anything and everything under the sun but trust me when I say that our knowledge about our very own mother Earth is limited to knowing the different layers (of Earth) and seasons on the blue planet.
Known to have formed some 4.54 billion years ago, Earth is the only known planet to sustain life (as we know of today). So, here in this article, we will be listing some facts about the Earth which are interesting and worth knowing.
Mass
The mass of the Earth is 5,972,190,000,000,000 billion kg
Diameter
The diameter of the Earth near the Equator is 12,756 km and its polar diameter is 12,714 km. The Equatorial circumference of our planet is known to be 40,030 km.
Orbit Distance& Period
The orbit distance of Earth is 149,598,262 km and its orbit period is not exactly 365 days as we often call it. The actual orbit period of the earth is 365.2564 days and it is because of this extra .2564 days that we have leap years, so that we can remain in tune with the true orbit period of the Earth.
Surface Temperature
Earth's surface temperature ranges from -88 °C to 58°C
Rotation on axis
Yes, the time taken by the Earth to rotate on its axis is what we call a day. But what if we told you that our day isn't of 24 hour duration? Shocked? Well, let's state a fact here, the actual time Earth takes to rotate around its axis is 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds.
Astronomers share that they usually refer to this phenomenon as a sidereal day.
Earth's natural satellite
Earth is known to have only one natural satellite, that is, the Moon. However, Earth also has two co-orbital satellites which are called 2002 AA29 and 3753 Cruithne. The 2002 AA29 is only 60 meters across and makes a horseshoe orbit around the Earth that brings it close to the planet every 95 years. In about 600 years, it will appear to circle Earth in a quasi-satellite orbit. On the other hand, 3753 Cruithne is 5 km across and is often referred to as Earth's second moon. It doesn't actually orbit the Earth but has a synchronised orbit with it. However, scientists share that it has its distinct orbit around the sun.
Earth had a Twin
One of the most interesting facts about Earth is that it used to have a twin planet which was called Theia. Considered to be as large as the planet Mars, Theia existed some 4.5 billion years ago and shared the same orbit with Earth. Scientists are known to believe that a collision between Earth and Theia occurred which led to the formation of the Moon.
Shape
The Earth is not actually round in shape. It is actually geoid in shape. This simply means that the rounded shape has a slight bulge towards the equator. So what causes this geoid shape? This happens solely because of the rotation of the Earth along with the centrifugal force which pushes outwards at Earth's equator giving it a slight wasteline.
Spinning
Did you know that if you are standing at the equator, you would be spinning around Earth's center at 1000 miles per hour? But if you are standing on either of the two poles, you would be standing at one spot and turning in a circle. This happens due to rotation of the Earth on its axis.
Another interesting fact to know about our planet is that it travels through space at 66,700 miles per hour.
So, why don't we feel dizzy when we are rotating/revolving at such high speeds? Well, this is because the Earth rotates at a constant speed and apart form that the Earth's gravitational pull also plays an important part here.
Seasons
Regardless of the time of year, the northern and southern hemispheres are known to always have opposite seasons. This is primarily because during summer or winter, one part of the planet is more directly exposed to the rays of the Sun than the other. This exposure alternates as the Earth revolves in its orbit. Do you know why we have the four seasons? No, it is not related to the Earth's distance from the Sun but because of the tilt of the planet on its axis. Various research facilities reveal that the Earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5°; however, to be precise the Earth's tilt is 23.439281°.
Earth's Tectonics
Another interesting fact about our planet is that it is the only known planet of the Milky Way which has tectonic plates. Another interesting fact about tectonic plates is that without them carbon in Earth's atmosphere wouldn't be consumed and recycled and the Earth would overheat.
Rocks get recycled
Yes, our mother planet Earth seriously believes in the concept of recycling. The process goes on as follows, volcanoes spit rocks out as magma, these then dry, harden and after many years either get sucked down by plate tectonics or get pushed towards Earth's core by a fresh layer of rocks above.
Gravity
What is Gravity? It is the pull of the earth which keeps our feet firmly on the ground, quite literally. Scientists also share that this pull of the Earth is not consistent at all locations on the planet and varies depending on the distance of the location from the Earth's core. One such place to have less gravitational pull is Hudson Bay in Canada. The primary reason for the occurrence of such a phenomenon is that there is less land mass in this area particularly due to retreating glaciers on the surface and swirling magma deep in the core.
All weight watchers on the planet should know another fact about gravity because it is a known fact that a person is able to record his/her weight due to this gravitational pull. So, you can actually weigh lighter at certain locations on Earth. I don't know about you but I am heading over to the Hudson Bay with my weighing machine this very moment. Lol!
Water
70 % of the planet is covered by oceans and would you believe it if we say that humans have till date only managed to explore 5 % of it. Well, even though Earth has such a mass reservoir of water only 3% of the water found on Earth is fresh, the remaining 97% is salt water which we cannot consume without treatment.
And if we are talking about facts, then it is worth noting that out of the 3% fresh water, around 2% is frozen in the form of glaciers. So, the amount of fresh water available for our consumption in lakes, rivers and our underground water table is a little less than 1%.
Another fact worth knowing is that Antarctica contains about 70 % of Earth's fresh water and 90 % of it is in the form of ice.
Continents & North Pole is moving
Scientists share that all the continents of the Earth move about 2 cm every year. Also, studies reveal that the Earth's magnetic north pole is moving northward at a rate of 10 miles per year.
Quakes
Almost all of us have heard about Earth quakes and felt them too, but what if we tell you that those are not the only quakes that affect our planet. Well, there is another phenomenon called the Moon quakes and they affect the tides on Earth, thereby, affecting our planet immensely.
Longest Mountain Range
As per you, which is the longest mountain range on Earth? Trust us when we say that it is not Andes because the longest mountain range on Earth is present underwater and is called the mid ocean ridge system. This mountain range is known to stretch over 80,000 km and is nearly 20 times longer than the Andes Mountains. Another aspect worth noting about this mountain range is that it is completely volcanic.
Gold deposits
The earth's oceans are known to hold nearly 20 million tons of gold. Each litre of seawater contains about 13 billionths of a gram of gold. Yes, most of it is diluted. However, there is enough undissolved gold on the sea floor to put nine pounds in every pocket on Earth.
For all of you who thought that gold can only be found in mines, we have an eye opener for you - 99% of the earth's gold lies in its core.
Earth's Core
A solid iron ball 1,500 miles wide sits at the center of the earth which we call the "Core".
We all know that the Sun is the main source of heat energy for the Earth. However, some studies now reveal that humans could theoretically survive without the sun's heat as the planet's inner core is hot enough to supply energy to its inhabitants.
Studies now reveal that the temperature of the Earth's core is estimated to be between 5,000 °C to 7,000 °C, which is as hot as the temperature of the sun's surface!
Deepest spot on Earth
The deepest spot on Earth is the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. It is nearly 11 km below the surface of the ocean and till date only three people have ventured there. Read more about who was the first to have reached the Mariana Trench here.
Largest Living structures
Constructed from millions of tiny polyps, coral reefs are the largest living structures on Earth. So much so that, some are even visible from space. Coral Reefs are also known to contain the highest density of life on the planet which is even more than rainforests.
Largest Single Living Thing
The largest single living thing recorded to have survived on Earth was a mushroom fungus in Oregon that grew to 2,200 acres.
Interplanetary Material
An estimated amount of 100 tons of interplanetary material is known to fall onto the Earth's surface every day. This waste is mostly known to come from the ice of comets as they vapourise near the sun. Fortunately, majority of these debris burns when they enter the earth's atmosphere and this is the reason why we see shooting stars which are any day better than witnessing giant craters.
Duration of 'a day' is increasing
One Earth day is known to be approximately 24 hours long. However, astronomers predict that after about 250 million years, a day will last 1.5 hours longer. This is expected to happen because the speed of Earth's rotation is slowing down. Scared? So am I.
Brightest planet
You must have often heard that Venus is the brightest celestial body in the sky. But studies now reveal that our mother planet, Earth, is comparatively brighter when observed from outer space. The factor which is known to make our planet the brightest among all the planets of the Milky Way is water.
Time for sunlight to reach Earth
It takes exactly 8 minutes and 20 seconds for sunlight to reach the earth. This means that the heat and light that we see and feel on a warm, sunny day is energy emitted by the sun eight minutes before.
Human being's survival in space
Astronomers share that a human being can survive unprotected in space for about two minutes.
Great Wall of China is visible from space
This is a myth. I know we have been hearing this school but this is not true. However, astronauts share that China's pollution is visible from space.
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The existence of this patch was predicted in a 1988 paper published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States. However, this famous example of marine pollution located in central North Pacific Ocean was discovered by Charles Moore in 1997.
Estimates of size range of this garbage patch are considered to be from 700,000 square kilometres to more than 15,000,000 square kilometers. Some media reports even claim that the size of this garbage patch is around twice the size of the continental United States but till date the exact size of this garbage patch has not been determined and studies reveal that it is increasing every year.
This garbage patch has formed due to ocean currents which deposit all the trash that is thrown in them at this location. Researches reveal that most of the garbage found in this patch consists of plastic bags, soda cans and debris.
Lightening
There are around 8.6 million lightning strikes per day on Earth.
Enhance your knowledge! Read our "Beyond the Syllabus" series.
- 30 Amazing facts about your brain
- Who got there first - the deepest, highest and farthest places on Earth
- 10 least explored areas on Earth
- 5 unsolved mysteries of India
- Unsolved mysteries of the world
- Six engineering marvels in India
- 5 famous people who disappeared mysteriously