essay of the planet

Planet Earth, explained

Our home planet provides us with life and protects us from space.

Earth, our home planet, is a world unlike any other. The third planet from the sun, Earth is the only place in the known universe confirmed to host life.

With a radius of 3,959 miles, Earth is the fifth largest planet in our solar system, and it's the only one known for sure to have liquid water on its surface. Earth is also unique in terms of monikers. Every other solar system planet was named for a Greek or Roman deity, but for at least a thousand years, some cultures have described our world using the Germanic word “earth,” which means simply “the ground.”

Our dance around the sun

Earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 days. Since our calendar years have only 365 days, we add an extra leap day every four years to account for the difference.

Though we can't feel it, Earth zooms through its orbit at an average velocity of 18.5 miles a second. During this circuit, our planet is an average of 93 million miles away from the sun, a distance that takes light about eight minutes to traverse. Astronomers define this distance as one astronomical unit (AU), a measure that serves as a handy cosmic yardstick.

Earth rotates on its axis every 23.9 hours, defining day and night for surface dwellers. This axis of rotation is tilted 23.4 degrees away from the plane of Earth's orbit around the sun, giving us seasons. Whichever hemisphere is tilted closer to the sun experiences summer, while the hemisphere tilted away gets winter. In the spring and fall, each hemisphere receives similar amounts of light. On two specific dates each year—called the equinoxes—both hemispheres get illuminated equally.

Many layers, many features

About 4.5 billion years ago, gravity coaxed Earth to form from the gaseous, dusty disk that surrounded our young sun. Over time, Earth's interior—which is made mostly of silicate rocks and metals—differentiated into four layers.

For Hungry Minds

At the planet's heart lies the inner core, a solid sphere of iron and nickel that's 759 miles wide and as hot as 9,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The inner core is surrounded by the outer core, a 1,400-mile-thick band of iron and nickel fluids. Beyond the outer core lies the mantle, a 1,800-mile-thick layer of viscous molten rock on which Earth's outermost layer, the crust, rests. On land, the continental crust is an average of 19 miles thick, but the oceanic crust that forms the seafloor is thinner—about three miles thick—and denser.

Like Venus and Mars, Earth has mountains, valleys, and volcanoes. But unlike its rocky siblings, almost 70 percent of Earth's surface is covered in oceans of liquid water that average 2.5 miles deep. These bodies of water contain 97 percent of Earth's volcanoes and the mid-ocean ridge , a massive mountain range more than 40,000 miles long.

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Earth's crust and upper mantle are divided into massive plates that grind against each other in slow motion. As these plates collide, tear apart, or slide past each other, they give rise to our very active geology. Earthquakes rumble as these plates snag and slip past each other. Many volcanoes form as seafloor crust smashes into and slides beneath continental crust. When plates of continental crust collide, mountain ranges such as the Himalaya are pushed toward the skies.

Protective fields and gases

Earth's atmosphere is 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and one percent other gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and argon. Much like a greenhouse, this blanket of gases absorbs and retains heat. On average, Earth's surface temperature is about 57 degrees Fahrenheit; without our atmosphere, it'd be zero degrees . In the last two centuries, humans have added enough greenhouse gases to the atmosphere to raise Earth's average temperature by 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit . This extra heat has altered Earth's weather patterns in many ways .

The atmosphere not only nourishes life on Earth, but it also protects it: It's thick enough that many meteorites burn up before impact from friction, and its gases—such as ozone—block DNA-damaging ultraviolet light from reaching the surface. But for all that our atmosphere does, it's surprisingly thin. Ninety percent of Earth's atmosphere lies within just 10 miles of the planet's surface .

The silhouette of a woman is seen on a Norwegian island beneath the Northern Lights ( aurora borealis ).

We also enjoy protection from Earth's magnetic field, generated by our planet's rotation and its iron-nickel core. This teardrop-shaped field shields Earth from high-energy particles launched at us from the sun and elsewhere in the cosmos. But due to the field's structure, some particles get funneled to Earth's Poles and collide with our atmosphere, yielding aurorae, the natural fireworks show known by some as the northern lights.

Spaceship Earth

Earth is the planet we have the best opportunity to understand in detail—helping us see how other rocky planets behave, even those orbiting distant stars. As a result, scientists are increasingly monitoring Earth from space. NASA alone has dozens of missions dedicated to solving our planet's mysteries.

At the same time, telescopes are gazing outward to find other Earths. Thanks to instruments such as NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, astronomers have found more than 3,800 planets orbiting other stars, some of which are about the size of Earth , and a handful of which orbit in the zones around their stars that are just the right temperature to be potentially habitable. Other missions, such as the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, are poised to find even more.

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Home — Essay Samples — Science — Earth Science — The Beauty of Earth: An Essay on the Magnificence of Our Planet

The Beauty of Earth: an Essay on The Magnificence of Our Planet

• Categories: Earth Science

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Published: Mar 8, 2024

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The natural wonders of earth, the diverse inhabitants of earth, preserving the beauty of earth.

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Planet Earth: Everything you need to know

Earth is the only planet known to support life. Learn about what Earth is made of and where it came from.

• Earth's orbit
• Earth's formation

Earth FAQs answered by an expert

• Earth's core
• Earth's magnetosphere

Earth's atmosphere

• Earth's composition

Earth's moon

Earth observation, life on earth.

Earth, our home, is the third planet from the sun . While scientists continue to hunt for clues of life beyond Earth, our home planet remains the only place in the universe where we've ever identified living organisms. 

Earth is the fifth-largest planet in the solar system. It's smaller than the four gas giants — Jupiter , Saturn , Uranus and Neptune — but larger than the three other rocky planets, Mercury , Mars and Venus .

Earth has a diameter of roughly 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers) and is mostly round because gravity generally pulls matter into a ball. But the spin of our home planet causes it to be squashed at its poles and swollen at the equator, making the true shape of the Earth an "oblate spheroid."

Related: How big is Earth?

Our planet is unique for many reasons, but its available water and oxygen are two defining features. Water covers roughly 71% of Earth's surface, with most of that water located in our planet's oceans. About a fifth of Earth's atmosphere consists of oxygen, produced by plants. 

Related: 15 places on Earth that look exoplanetary

Planet Earth's orbit around the sun

While Earth orbits the sun, the planet is simultaneously spinning around an imaginary line called an axis that runs through the core, from the North Pole to the South Pole. It takes Earth 23.934 hours to complete a rotation on its axis and 365.26 days to complete an orbit around the sun — our days and years on Earth are defined by these gyrations.

Earth's axis of rotation is tilted in relation to the ecliptic plane, an imaginary surface through the planet's orbit around the sun. This means the Northern and Southern Hemispheres will sometimes point toward or away from the sun depending on the time of year, and this changes the amount of light the hemispheres receive, resulting in the changing seasons .

Earth happens to orbit the sun within the so-called " Goldilocks zone ," where temperatures are just right to maintain liquid water on our planet's surface. Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle, but rather a slightly oval-shaped ellipse, similar to the orbits of all the other planets in our solar system. Our planet is a bit closer to the sun in early January and farther away in July, although this proximity has a much smaller effect on the temperatures we experience on the planet's surface than does the tilt of Earth's axis. 

Statistics about Earth's orbit, according to NASA :

• Average distance from the sun : 92,956,050 miles (149,598,262 km)
• Perihelion (closest approach to the sun): 91,402,640 miles (147,098,291 km)
• Aphelion (farthest distance from the sun): 94,509,460 miles (152,098,233 km)
• Length of solar day (single rotation on its axis): 23.934 hours
• Length of year (single revolution around the sun): 365.26 days
• Equatorial inclination to orbit: 23.4393 degrees

How did Earth form?

Scientists think Earth was formed at roughly the same time as the sun and other planets some 4.6 billion years ago when the solar system coalesced from a giant, rotating cloud of gas and dust known as the solar nebula . As the nebula collapsed under the force of its own gravity, it spun faster and flattened into a disk. Most of the material in that disk was then pulled toward the center to form the sun.

Other particles within the disk collided and stuck together to form ever-larger bodies, including Earth. Scientists think Earth started off as a waterless mass of rock .

"It was thought that because of these asteroids and comets flying around colliding with Earth, conditions on early Earth may have been hellish," Simone Marchi, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, previously told Space.com . 

However, analyses of minerals trapped within ancient microscopic crystals suggest that there was liquid water already present on Earth during its first 500 million years, Marchi said.

Radioactive materials in the rock and increasing pressure deep within the Earth generated enough heat to melt the planet's interior, causing some chemicals to rise to the surface and form water, while others became the gases of the atmosphere. Recent evidence suggests that Earth's crust and oceans may have formed within about 200 million years after the planet took shape.

Related: 10 Earth impact craters you must see

We asked Jack Wright an ESA Internal Research Fellow a few commonly asked questions about our planet, Earth.  

Jack Wright, is an Internal Research Fellow with the European Space Agency (ESA).  

What sets Earth apart from other planets in the solar system?

From what we know so far, Earth is the only planet that hosts life and the only one in the Solar System with liquid water on the surface. Earth is also the only planet in the solar system with active plate tectonics, where the surface of the planet is divided into rigid plates that collide and move apart, causing earthquakes , mountain building, and volcanism. Sites of volcanism along Earth's submarine plate boundaries are considered to be potential environments where life could have first emerged. 

What makes our planet uniquely suitable to host life?

Earth is the right distance from the sun, such that liquid water has been stable in significant volumes over much of the planet's lifetime. It has the right chemical ingredients for life (e.g. water and carbon), and chemical cycling (such as between the planet's interior and oceans by volcanism and other geological activity) provides chemical pathways for life to extract energy to survive. 

Additional factors that have allowed the evolution of complex life are an oxygenated atmosphere, and protection from solar radiation by its magnetic field.

Which planet is closest to Earth in terms of distance?

New findings show that considering the average distance, Mercury is the nearest planet to Earth; considering the smallest possible distance, instead, Venus is closest. 

Is Mercury the most similar to ours in the solar system?

No. Mercury has no atmosphere and it has an old surface covered in impact craters, so it is very unlike Earth. One similarity is that Mercury and Earth both have internally generated magnetic fields. Venus and Earth are very similar in size. There is emerging evidence for active volcanism on Venus, however, its atmosphere is up to 100 times denser than Earth's and is mostly carbon dioxide with sulfuric acid clouds. The surface of Saturn's moon Titan physically resembles Earth's, with mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas. The difference is that Titan's mountains are made from water ice, which is as strong as rock under its surface temperature (-180°C), and the rivers and seas are full of hydrocarbons.

How many planets in the Milky Way could have conditions like Earth?

Scientists estimated that 1 in 5 stars like our sun has one Earth-like planet orbiting around them, which may support life. Considering that there are more than 200 billion stars in our Milky Way, there might be an estimated 40 billion planets that might support life in our galaxy. 

Why is it vital to preserve our planet?

Earth observation from space provides objective coverage across both space and time. The same space-based sensor gathers data from sites across the world, including places too remote or otherwise inaccessible for ground-based data acquisition.

And because Earth observation satellites remain in place for long periods of time, they can highlight environmental changes occurring gradually. Looking back through archived satellite data shows us the steady clearing of the world's rainforests, an apparent annual rise in sea level approaching 2 mm a year, and the increase of atmospheric pollution.

In the long term, this monitoring of the Earth's environment will enable a reliable assessment of the global impact of human activity and the likely future extent of climate change.

The scientific evidence of global climate change is irrefutable. The consequences of a warming climate are far-reaching  —  affecting freshwater resources, global food production, and sea level and triggering an increase in extreme weather events. In order to tackle climate change, scientists and decision-makers need reliable data to understand how our planet is changing.

For more than three decades, Earth-observing satellites have been providing the facts needed to address the challenges of our changing world.

Earth is the only naturally habitable planet for complex (e.g. human) life in the solar system. The consequences of a warming climate are far-reaching and are already threatening some people's ways of life and damaging wider biodiversity. If Earth becomes uninhabitable we have nowhere else to go. Colonizing the Moon and Mars is no substitute for preserving Earth. The Moon and Mars cannot sustain Earth's population of humans and other organisms.

Earth's internal structure

Earth's core is about 4,400 miles (7,100 km) wide, slightly larger than half the Earth's diameter and about the same size as Mars. The outermost 1,400 miles (2,250 km) of the core are liquid, while the inner core is solid. That solid core is about four-fifths as big as Earth's moon, at some 1,600 miles (2,600 km) in diameter. The core is responsible for the planet's magnetic field , which helps to deflect harmful charged particles shot from the sun. 

Above the core is Earth's mantle, which is about 1,800 miles (2,900 km) thick. The mantle is not completely stiff but can flow slowly. Earth's crust floats on the mantle much as a piece of wood floats on water. The slow motion of rock in the mantle shuffles continents around and causes earthquakes, volcanoes and the formation of mountain ranges.

Related: Earth's layers: Exploring our planet inside and out

Above the mantle, Earth has two kinds of crust. The dry land of the continents consists mostly of granite and other light silicate minerals, while the ocean floors are made up mostly of a dark, dense volcanic rock called basalt. Continental crust averages some 25 miles (40 km) thick, although it can be thinner or thicker in some areas. Oceanic crust is usually only about 5 miles (8 km) thick. Water fills in low areas of the basalt crust to form the world's oceans.

Earth gets warmer toward its core. At the bottom of the continental crust, temperatures reach about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius), increasing about 3 degrees F per mile (1 degree C per km) below the crust. Geologists think the temperature of Earth's outer core is about 6,700 to 7,800 degrees F (3,700 to 4,300 degrees C) and that the inner core may reach 12,600 degrees F (7,000 degrees C) — hotter than the surface of the sun.

Earth's magnetic field

Earth's magnetic field is generated by currents flowing in Earth's outer core. The magnetic poles are always on the move, with the magnetic North Pole accelerating its northward motion to 24 miles (40 km) annually since tracking began in the 1830s. It will likely exit North America and reach Siberia in a matter of decades.

Earth's magnetic field is changing in other ways, too. Globally, the magnetic field has weakened 10 percent since the 19th century, according to NASA . 

But these changes are mild compared to what Earth's magnetic field has done in the past. A few times in every million years or so, the field completely flips, with the North and the South poles swapping places. The magnetic field can take anywhere from 100 to 3,000 years to complete the flip, Space.com previously reported .

The strength of Earth's magnetic field decreased by about 90 percent when a field reversal occurred in ancient past, according to Andrew Roberts, a professor at the Australian National University. The drop makes the planet more vulnerable to solar storms and radiation, which could significantly damage satellites as well as communication and electrical infrastructure.

"Hopefully, such an event is a long way in the future and we can develop future technologies to avoid huge damage," Roberts said in a statement .

When charged particles from the sun get trapped in Earth's magnetic field, they smash into air molecules above the magnetic poles, causing them to glow. This phenomenon is known as the auroras , the northern and southern lights.

Earth's atmosphere is roughly 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen, with trace amounts of water, argon, carbon dioxide and other gases. No other planet in the solar system has an atmosphere loaded with free oxygen, which is vital to one of the other unique features of Earth: life.

Air surrounds Earth and becomes thinner farther from the surface. Roughly 100 miles (160 km) above Earth, the air is so thin that satellites can zip through the atmosphere with little resistance. Still, traces of atmosphere can be found as high as 370 miles (600 km) above the planet's surface.

The lowest layer of the atmosphere is known as the troposphere, which is constantly in motion and why we have weather. Sunlight heats the planet's surface, causing warm air to rise into the troposphere. This air expands and cools as air pressure decreases, and because this cool air is denser than its surroundings, it then sinks and gets warmed by the Earth again.

Above the troposphere, some 30 miles (48 km) above the Earth's surface, is the stratosphere. The still air of the stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which was created when ultraviolet light caused trios of oxygen atoms to bind together into ozone molecules. Ozone prevents most of the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching Earth's surface, where it can damage and mutate life.

Water vapor, carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun, warming Earth. Without this so-called " greenhouse effect ," Earth would probably be too cold for life to exist, although a runaway greenhouse effect led to the hellish conditions of Venus' current surface.

Earth-orbiting satellites have shown that the upper atmosphere actually expands during the day and contracts at night due to heating and cooling.

Earth's chemical composition

Oxygen is the most abundant element in rocks in Earth's crust, composing roughly 47 percent of the weight of all rock. The second most abundant element is silicon , at 27 percent, followed by aluminum , at 8 percent; iron , at 5%; calcium , at 4%; and sodium , potassium and magnesium , at about 2% each.

Earth's core consists mostly of iron and nickel and potentially smaller amounts of lighter elements, such as sulfur and oxygen. The mantle is made of iron and magnesium-rich silicate rocks (the combination of silicon and oxygen is known as silica, and minerals that contain silica are known as silicate minerals).

Earth's moon is 2,159 miles (3,474 km) wide, about one fourth of Earth's diameter. Our planet has one moon, while Mercury and Venus have none and all the other planets in our solar system have two or more.

The leading explanation for how Earth's moon formed is that a giant impact knocked the raw ingredients for the moon off the primitive, molten Earth and into orbit. Scientists have suggested that the object that hit the planet had roughly 10% the mass of Earth — about the size of Mars.

Astronauts and scientists have learned a lot about our planet by leaving it. From 240 miles (408 kilometers) away, aboard the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts are able to observe the thin, fragile atmosphere of Earth. 

Meanwhile, satellites orbiting Earth can track the planet's responses to changes —caused naturally and by humans– on a greater scale. Satellites have been launched to detect changes in the hole in the ozone layer, monitor cloud coverage and weather patterns and manage humans' use of Earth's resources. 

Earth is the only planet in the universe known to possess life. The planet boasts several million described species, living in habitats ranging from the bottom of the deepest ocean to a few miles up into the atmosphere. Researchers think far more species remain that have yet to be described to science.

Researchers suspect that other candidates for hosting life in our solar system — such as Saturn's moon Titan or Jupiter's moon Europa — could house primitive living creatures. Scientists have yet to precisely nail down exactly how our primitive ancestors first showed up on Earth, although most believe that a chemical soup on the planet gave rise to the building blocks of living organisms. (The precise set of circumstances necessary to create life from a lifeless planet are pretty unlikely, according to previous Space.com report , so it seems we got very lucky.)

Read more from Live Science: How did life arise on Earth?

Another theory suggests that life first evolved on the nearby planet Mars, which could once have been habitable, then traveled to Earth on meteorites hurled from the Red Planet by impacts from other space rocks.

"It's lucky that we ended up here, nevertheless, as certainly Earth has been the better of the two planets for sustaining life," biochemist Steven Benner, of the Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology in Florida, told Space.com . "If our hypothetical Martian ancestors had remained on Mars, there might not have been a story to tell."

Additional resources

• Read more about our planet in " A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters " (Custom House, 2021) by Andrew H. Knoll.
• Check out NASA 's page all about planet Earth.
• Consider a different perspective from Discover Magazine about what makes Earth unique: its minerals.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Get the Space.com Newsletter

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

Charles Q. Choi is a contributing writer for Space.com and Live Science. He covers all things human origins and astronomy as well as physics, animals and general science topics. Charles has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida. Charles has visited every continent on Earth, drinking rancid yak butter tea in Lhasa, snorkeling with sea lions in the Galapagos and even climbing an iceberg in Antarctica. Visit him at http://www.sciwriter.us

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A photo-essay from NASA’s Earth Science Division — February 2019 Download Earth in PDF , MOBI (Kindle), or ePub formats.

Of all celestial bodies within reach or view, as far as we can see, out to the edge, the most wonderful and marvelous and mysterious is turning out to be our own planet earth. There is nothing to match it anywhere, not yet anyway. —Lewis Thomas

Sixty years ago, with the launch of Explorer 1, NASA made its first observations of Earth from space. Fifty years ago, astronauts left Earth orbit for the first time and looked back at our “blue marble.” All of these years later, as we send spacecraft and point our telescopes past the outer edges of the solar system, as we study our planetary neighbors and our Sun in exquisite detail, there remains much to see and explore at home.

We are still just getting to know Earth through the tools of science. For centuries, painters, poets, philosophers, and photographers have sought to teach us something about our home through their art.

This book stands at an intersection of science and art. From its origins, NASA has studied our planet in novel ways, using ingenious tools to study physical processes at work—from beneath the crust to the edge of the atmosphere. We look at it in macrocosm and microcosm, from the flow of one mountain stream to the flow of jet streams. Most of all, we look at Earth as a system, examining the cycles and processes—the water cycle, the carbon cycle, ocean circulation, the movement of heat—that interact and influence each other in a complex, dynamic dance across seasons and decades.

We measure particles, gases, energy, and fluids moving in, on, and around Earth. And like artists, we study the light—how it bounces, reflects, refracts, and gets absorbed and changed. Understanding the light and the pictures it composes is no small feat, given the rivers of air and gas moving between our satellite eyes and the planet below.

For all of the dynamism and detail we can observe from orbit, sometimes it is worth stepping back and simply admiring Earth. It is a beautiful, awe-inspiring place, and it is the only world most of us will ever know.

NASA has a unique vantage point for observing the beauty and wonder of Earth and for making sense of it. Looking back from space, astronaut Edgar Mitchell once called Earth “a sparkling blue and white jewel,” and it does dazzle the eye. The planet’s palette of colors and textures and shapes—far more than just blues and whites—are spread across the pages of this book.

We chose these images because they inspire. They tell a story of a 4.5-billion-year-old planet where there is always something new to see. They tell a story of land, wind, water, ice, and air as they can only be viewed from above. They show us that no matter what the human mind can imagine, no matter what the artist can conceive, there are few things more fantastic and inspiring than the world as it already is. The truth of our planet is just as compelling as any fiction.

We hope you enjoy this satellite view of Earth. It is your planet. It is NASA’s mission.

Michael Carlowicz Earth Observatory Managing Editor

The astonishing thing about the Earth... is that it is alive.... Aloft, floating free beneath the moist, gleaming membrane of bright blue sky, is the rising Earth, the only exuberant thing in this part of the cosmos.... It has the organized, self-contained look of a live creature, full of information, marvelously skilled in handling the Sun. —Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. —T.S. Eliot, “Little Gidding”

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. —T.S. Eliot “Little Gidding”

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. —John Lubbock, The Use of Life

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. —John Lubbock The Use of Life

ice and snow

It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living. —David Attenborough

Imagery and data courtesy of:

• NASA Earth Observatory
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and NASA Landsat Program
• International Space Station (ISS) Crew Earth Observations Facility
• LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team
• MABEL Science Team
• Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive & Distribution System Distributed Active Archive Center (LAADS DAAC)
• EO-1 Science Team
• Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP)
• NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group
• NASA/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS/Japan ASTER Science Team

Adapted for the web by Paul Przyborski

About the Authors

Michael Carlowicz is managing editor of the NASA Earth Observatory. He has written about Earth science and geophysics since 1991 for several NASA divisions, the American Geophysical Union, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and in three popular science books. He is a baseball player and fan, a longtime singer and guitarist, and the proud father of three science and engineering majors.

Kathy Carroll supports the Earth Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. She previously worked as a manager and organizer at for-profit and non-profit organizations and on political campaigns. She is a diehard baseball and hockey fan, and she volunteers with animal rescue organizations.

Lawrence Friedl directs the Applied Sciences Program in the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. He works to enable innovative and practical uses of data from Earth-observing satellites. He has worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and as a Space Shuttle flight controller in NASA’s Mission Control Center. He and his wife have three children, and he enjoys ultimate frisbee and hiking.

Stephen Schaeberle is a graphic designer with the Communications Support Services Center at NASA Headquarters. He holds a bachelor of fine arts from the Pratt Institute, and he has received numerous awards and honors for his work and designs. He enjoys boating and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay.

Kevin Ward manages NASA’s Earth Observatory Group, including the Earth Observatory, Visible Earth, NASA Earth Observations (NEO), and EONET. He holds a master’s degree in library and information science and has spent more than 20 years developing Web-accessible resources in support of NASA Earth science communications. He and his wife have a son and a deep love of music.

Acknowledgments

Just a few names end up on the title page of a book, but it takes an entire cast of people to bring it from idea to draft to finished product. The cast for Earth begins with Maxine Aldred, Andrew Cooke, Tun Hla, and Lisa Jirousek, who shepherded the words and images through design and layout. Thanks are also due to Kathryn Hansen, Pola Lem, Rebecca Lindsey, Holli Riebeek, Michon Scott, and Adam Voiland, whose reporting and writing contributions gave this book its depth. Joshua Stevens, Robert Simmon, Jesse Allen, Jeff Schmaltz, Michael Taylor, and Norman Kuring applied their strong visual sense and processing skills to make each image pop with color and texture while remaining scientifically accurate.

We owe a debt to our scientific and outreach colleagues, who keep the satellites running, the sensors sensing, and the data and imagery flowing. Every one of the images in this book is publicly available through the Internet, truly making science accessible to every citizen. The Landsat teams at the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA, the LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, and the NASA Earth Observatory deserve extra gratitude for making our planet visible to the scientist and the layman every day.

English Compositions

Short Essay on Our Planet Earth [100, 200, 400 words] With PDF

Earth is the only planet that sustains life and ecosystems. In this lesson, you will learn to write essays in three different sets on the planet earth to help you in preparing for your upcoming examinations.

Short Essay on Our Planet Earth in 100 Words

Earth is a rare planet since it is the only one that can support life. On Earth, life is possible for various reasons, the most essential of which are the availability of water and the presence of oxygen. Earth is a member of the Solar System. The Earth, along with the other seven planets, orbits the Sun.

One spin takes approximately twenty-four hours, and one revolution takes 365 days and four hours. Day and night, as well as the changing of seasons, occurs due to rotation and revolution. However, we have jeopardized our planet by our sheer ignorance and negligence. We must practise conservation of resources and look after mother earth while we have time.

Short Essay on Our Planet Earth in 200 Words

Earth is a blue planet that is special from the rest of the planets because it is the only one to sustain life. The availability of water and oxygen are two of the most crucial factors that make life possible on Earth. The Earth rotates around the Sun, along with seven other planets in the solar system. It takes 24 hours to complete one rotation, and approximately 365 days and 4 hours to complete one revolution. Day and night, as well as changing seasons, are all conceivable due to these two movements. 

However, we are wasting and taking advantage of the natural resources that have been bestowed upon us. Overuse and exploitation of all-natural resources produce pollution to such an alarming degree that life on Earth is on the verge of extinction. The depletion of the ozone layer has resulted in global warming. The melting of glaciers has resulted in rising temperatures.

Many animals have become extinct or are endangered. To protect the environment, we must work together. Conversation, resource reduction, reuse, and recycling will take us a long way toward restoring the natural ecosystem. We are as unique as our home planet. We have superior intelligence, which we must employ for the benefit of all living beings. The Earth is our natural home, and we must create a place that is as good as, if not better than, paradise.

Short Essay on Our Planet Earth in 400 Words

Earth is a unique planet as it is the only planet that sustains life. Life is possible on Earth because of many reasons, and the most important among them is the availability of water and oxygen. Earth is a part of the family of the Sun. It belongs to the Solar System.

Earth, along with seven other planets, revolves around the Sun. It takes roughly twenty-four hours to complete one rotation and 365 days and 4 hours to complete one revolution. Rotation and revolution make day and night and change of seasons simultaneously possible. The five seasons we experience in one revolution are Spring, Summer, Monsoon, Autumn, and Winter.

However, we are misusing resources and exploiting the natural gifts that have been so heavily endowed upon us. Overuse and misuse of all the natural resources are causing pollution to such an extent that it has become alarming to the point of destruction. The most common form of pollution caused upon the earth by us is Air Pollution, Land Pollution, Water Pollution, and Noise Pollution.

This, in turn, had resulted in Ozone Layer Depletion and Global Warming. Due to ozone layer depletion, there harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun are reaching the earth. It, in turn, is melting glaciers and causing a rise in temperature every year. Many animals have either extinct or are endangered due to human activities.

Some extinct animals worldwide are Sabre-toothed Cat, Woolly Mammoth, Dodo, Great Auk, Stellers Sea Cow, Tasmanian Tiger, Passenger Pigeon, Pyrenean Ibex. The extinct animals in the Indian subcontinent are the Indian Cheetah, pink-headed duck, northern Sumatran rhinoceros, and Sunderban dwarf rhinoceros.

The endangered animals that are in need of our immediate attention in India are Royal Bengal Tiger, Snow leopard, Red panda, Indian rhinoceros, Nilgiri tahr, Asiatic lion, Ganges river dolphin, Gharial and Hangul, among others. We have exploited fossil fuels to such an extent that now we run the risk of using them completely. We must switch to alternative sources of energy that are nature friendly. Solar power, windmills, hydra power should be used more often, and deforestation must be made illegal worldwide.

We must come together to preserve the natural environment. Conversation, reduction, reuse and recycling of the resources will take us a long way in rebuilding the natural habitat. We are as unique as our planet earth. We have higher intelligence, and we must use it for the well-being of all living organisms. The Earth is our natural abode, and we must make a place as close to Paradise, if not better.

Hopefully, after going through this lesson, you have a holistic idea about our planet Earth. I have tried to cover every aspect that makes it unique and the reasons to practise conversation of natural resources. If you still have any doubts regarding this session, kindly let me know through the comment section below. To read more such essays on many important topics, keep browsing our website. 

Join us on Telegram to get the latest updates on our upcoming sessions. Thank you, see you again soon.

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Essay on Save Earth: Samples in 100, 150 and 200 Words

• Updated on  
• Nov 11, 2023

There is a popular saying that goes, ’You don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Well, then why harm the planet that is providing for you?’ We all should know that our planet Earth is the only planet where life can exist. Our planet provides us with basic necessities such as water, air, food to eat, and much more. So if you want to save our planet Earth for yourself and for the coming future generations then do give this blog a read. Today we will be talking about how you can save your planet Earth by taking all the required measures. We have also listed some sample essay on Save Earth which will help you to talk about the same in public. 

Table of Contents

• 1 Why is Saving Earth so Important?
• 2 Essay on Save Earth in 100 Words
• 3 Essay on Save Earth in 150 Words
• 4 Essay on Save Earth in 200 Words

Why is Saving Earth so Important?

Our planet Earth is the only planet that provides us with raw materials, oxygen, food which we need for fuel, and other essential materials.  

There are a number of reasons why saving the Earth is so important:

• Our Earth is the only planet that supports life. Despite signs of organic molecules and water on other planets and moons, life is only known to exist on Earth. There would be nowhere else for us to go if not Earth.
• Our Earth provides us with basic necessities such as medicine, food, clean water, and air to breathe. 
• The combustion of fossil fuels releases harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which traps heat and warms the earth. Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, and more extreme weather events are just a few of the negative effects of climate change that are already being felt.

Also Read: Essay on Social Issues

Essay on Save Earth in 100 Words

The only planet in the cosmos that is known to sustain life is Earth. Since it is our home, we must take care of it.

There are numerous reasons why protecting the planet is crucial. To begin with, it is our only place of residence. There won’t be somewhere else for us to go if we destroy Earth. Second, Earth gives us food, water, air, and shelter—everything we require to survive. Third, a wide variety of biodiversity exists on Earth, which is vital to human health.

Unfortunately, the health of Earth is being threatened by human activity. Among the difficulties we confront are deforestation, pollution, and climate change.

To save the Earth, we can all do our part. Here are some actions you may take:

• Cut back on the use of fossil fuels. Make more of an effort to walk or bike, drive less, and take public transit wherever you can.
• Make the switch to alternative energy sources like wind and solar energy.
• At home, use less energy and water.
• Reduce trash via composting and recycling.
• Encourage companies and groups that are engaged in environmental protection.

Both our own life and the survival of future generations depend on saving the planet. We can contribute to ensuring that our planet is healthy and habitable for many years to come by acting now.

Also Read: Essay on Save Environment: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

Essay on Save Earth in 150 Words

Since the Earth is our home, it is up to us to preserve it. However, the health of the planet is in danger due to human activity. Among the difficulties we confront are deforestation, pollution, and climate change.

The most important environmental issue of our day is climate change. Greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, which causes the earth to warm. Among the detrimental repercussions of climate change that are already being felt are rising sea levels, melting glaciers, and an increase in extreme weather occurrences.

Pollution poses a serious threat to Earth as well. Among the materials we use to damage the air, water, and land are chemicals, plastics, and trash. Not only can pollution harm humans and wildlife, but it can also ruin ecosystems.

Deforestation is another issue. In this, the trees are removed and instead, buildings are constructed.  Forests filter water in addition to providing habitat for species and regulating the climate. Deforestation is one of the primary causes of both climate change and biodiversity loss.

We must take action to safeguard Earth from these threats. We can potentially reduce our carbon footprint by switching to renewable energy sources and consuming less energy. We can also reduce pollution by using less plastic, recycling, and composting. We can also safeguard forests by planting trees and promoting sustainable forestry practices.

Preserving the planet is essential for our own existence as well as that of future generations. To keep our world safe, each of us has a responsibility.

Also Read: Essay on Unity in Diversity in 100 to 200 Words

Essay on Save Earth in 200 Words

The only planet in the solar system where humanity can survive is Earth. Since our planet gives us access to fundamental essentials like clean water, fresh air, and food to eat, it is our duty as humans to make sure that it is habitable for future generations.

We can see that, among all the urgent problems, one of the most significant ones that affect humanity is climate change. Among the detrimental repercussions of climate change that are already being felt are rising sea levels, melting glaciers, and an increase in extreme weather occurrences.

Pollution is another major problem. The majority of the materials that are key to pollution of the air, water, and land are harmful chemicals, plastics that are carelessly thrown away, and other materials. This is not only harmful to humans and wildlife but also to the environment. 

Deforestation is the third main issue; it is the removal of trees for construction or other purposes, like agriculture. One of the main contributors to both climate change and biodiversity loss is deforestation. Consequently, we need to act to defend Earth from these dangers. 

We hope this essay on Save Earth helped you with some knowledge of some of the pressing issues we face on a daily basis and what we can do to save our planet. 

Related Articles

We can conserve the globe by avoiding contamination of the Earth and its natural resources, including the air and water.

Reducing carbon emissions is the first step towards saving our planet. This can be done by using environmentally friendly resources, conserving water and following the Reduce, Reuse and Recycling practices.

Clearing forest areas for agricultural, human settlement or any other commercial activities is known as deforestation.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay-writing page and follow Leverage Edu ! 

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Essay on Solar System

We see the sun every day shining in the sky and at night, we see the moon. Many other heavy bodies like satellites, meteoroids, and asteroids not visible to our naked eyes also make up the solar system. The sun and its planets together form the Solar System. The existence of the Solar System is about 4.6 billion years old.

100 Words Essay on The Solar System

200 words essay on the solar system, 500 words essay on the solar system.

The solar system comprises all the planets that revolve around the sun. The solar system also contains moons, asteroids, comets, minor planets, and different types of gases and dust.

The planets are categorised into two categories: internal planets and outer planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupyter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called inner planets . Earlier, there were nine planets considered till 2006, but now, Pluto does not lie in the list of planets, it does not meet the standard set for the planets.

It is now termed a dwarf planet. In our solar system, the earth is the only planet where life exists. There are many solar systems that exist in the universe, it is more than 500. Our solar system includes the Kuiper belt that lies past Neptune’s orbit.

The Sun is a star that is made up of massive hot gas that gives us heat and light . The Sun is the focal point of the solar system, every substance in the solar system revolves around the Sun. There are eight planets in the solar system, Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in the solar system whereas Neptune is the farthest one and Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system.

Only Earth has a supportive environment for living creatures. The Earth rotates around its own axis and revolves around the Sun, similarly the moon orbits around the Earth. For complete rotation the earth takes one day and for completing one cycle around the sun it takes 365 days. It is what we call one year and due to gravity we all are stuck to the surface of the Earth.

A Comet is a large body in space made of rocks, ice, and frozen gas. The centre of a comet is called the nucleus. Asteroids are also large bodies in space made of rocks and minerals, they mostly orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter in an area called the Asteroid Belt.

The solar system comprises eight planets, about 170 natural planetary satellites, and uncountable asteroids, meteorites, and comets. The solar system is situated within the Orion-Cygnus arm of the Milky way galaxy . Alpha Centauri made up of the stars Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri A, and Alpha Centauri B are the closest star systems to the solar system. The sun which is located at the centre of the solar system affects the motion of the body through its gravitational force. It contains more than 99% mass of the system.

Planets and Their Moons

Mercury | Mercury is the closest and smallest plate in the solar system, it orbits around the Sun and takes 87.97 earth days, it spins around slowly compared to Earth and it is slightly bigger than earth. It has a solid surface that is covered with craters and has a thin surface.

Venus | Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun. Venus is very similar to the earth in shape and densityVenus is the hottest planet in the solar system, it has a thick and toxic atmosphere covered with carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid in the form of yellowish clouds, and trapped heat.

Earth | Earth is the only planet that has a livable environment that sustains life and the ecosystem. It is the third closest and fifth largest planet in the solar system. On earth, life is possible for various reasons, but the most essential thing is the availability of water and the presence of oxygen. Earth is also known as the ‘Blue Planet’ because 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with seas, oceans, and large rivers of water

Mars | Mars is the fourth planet from the sun in the solar system. It appears as a red, orange, and radish ball because of the presence of iron oxide which is why Mars is also known as the ‘Red Planet’. Mars is positioned just next to the Earth. The evidence of water and oxygen raised hopes about the possibility of life on Mars.

Jupiter | Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and the first of the four gas giants. It is the fifth planet from the Sun. Jupiter also has a ring system like all the large gas planets, although these rings are not famous or as visible as Saturn’s ring.

Saturn | Saturn is the second largest and least dense planet in the solar system. Saturn can float in water because Saturn is made of gases, it's a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of earth. Saturn has rings that are made of gas and dust.

Uranus | Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system, it revolves around the sun and takes 84 earth years to complete one rotation around the earth. Uranus is called an ‘Ice Giant’ planet because it is covered with ice and Hydrogen gas.

Neptune | Neptune is the eighth planet and farthest planet from the sun in the solar system, its atmosphere is made of hydrogen, helium, and methane gas. Neptune is a dark, cold, and very windy planet in the solar system.

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All About the Ocean

The ocean covers 70 percent of Earth's surface.

Biology, Earth Science, Oceanography, Geography, Physical Geography

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The ocean covers 70 percent of Earth 's surface. It contains about 1.35 billion cubic kilometers (324 million cubic miles) of water, which is about 97 percent of all the water on Earth. The ocean makes all life on Earth possible, and makes the planet appear blue when viewed from space. Earth is the only planet in our solar system that is definitely known to contain liquid water. Although the ocean is one continuous body of water, oceanographers have divided it into five principal areas: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Oceans. The Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans merge into icy waters around Antarctica. Climate The ocean plays a vital role in climate and weather . The sun’s heat causes water to evaporate , adding moisture to the air. The oceans provide most of this evaporated water. The water vapor condenses to form clouds, which release their moisture as rain or other kinds of precipitation . All life on Earth depends on this process, called the water cycle . The atmosphere receives much of its heat from the ocean. As the sun warms the water, the ocean transfers heat to the atmosphere. In turn, the atmosphere distributes the heat around the globe. Because water absorbs and loses heat more slowly than land masses, the ocean helps balance global temperatures by absorbing heat in the summer and releasing it in the winter. Without the ocean to help regulate global temperatures, Earth’s climate would be bitterly cold. Ocean Formation After Earth began to form about 4.6 billion years ago, it gradually separated into layers of lighter and heavier rock. The lighter rock rose and formed Earth’s crust . The heavier rock sank and formed Earth’s core and mantle . The ocean’s water came from rocks inside the newly forming Earth. As the molten rocks cooled, they released water vapor and other gases. Eventually, the water vapor condensed and covered the crust with a primitive ocean. Today, hot gases from the Earth’s interior continue to produce new water at the bottom of the ocean. Ocean Floor Scientists began mapping the ocean floor in the 1920s. They used instruments called echo sounders , which measure water depths using sound waves . Echo sounders use sonar technology. Sonar is an acronym for SOund Navigation And Ranging. The sonar showed that the ocean floor has dramatic physical features, including huge mountains, deep canyons , steep cliffs , and wide plains . The ocean’s crust is a thin layer of volcanic rock called basalt . The ocean floor is divided into several different areas. The first is the continental shelf , the nearly flat, underwater extension of a continent. Continental shelves vary in width. They are usually wide along low-lying land, and narrow along mountainous coasts. A shelf is covered in sediment from the nearby continent. Some of the sediment is deposited by rivers and trapped by features such as natural dams. Most sediment comes from the last glacial period , or Ice Age, when the oceans receded and exposed the continental shelf. This sediment is called relict sediment . At the outer edge of the continental shelf, the land drops off sharply in what is called the continental slope . The slope descends almost to the bottom of the ocean. Then it tapers off into a gentler slope known as the continental rise. The continental rise descends to the deep ocean floor, which is called the abyssal plain . Abyssal plains are broad, flat areas that lie at depths of about 4,000 to 6,000 meters (13,123 to 19,680 feet). Abyssal plains cover 30 percent of the ocean floor and are the flattest feature on Earth. They are covered by fine-grained sediment like clay and silt. Pelagic sediments, the remains of small ocean organisms, also drift down from upper layers of the ocean. Scattered across abyssal plains are abyssal hills and underwater volcanic peaks called seamounts. Rising from the abyssal plains in each major ocean is a huge chain of mostly undersea mountains. Called the mid-ocean ridge , the chain circles Earth, stretching more than 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles). Much of the mid-ocean ridge is split by a deep central rift, or crack. Mid-ocean ridges mark the boundaries between tectonic plates . Molten rock from Earth’s interior wells up from the rift, building new seafloor in a process called seafloor spreading . A major portion of the ridge runs down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and is known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It was not directly seen or explored until 1973. Some areas of the ocean floor have deep, narrow depressions called ocean trenches . They are the deepest parts of the ocean. The deepest spot of all is the Challenger Deep , which lies in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean near the island of Guam. Its true depth is not known, but the most accurate measurements put the Challenger Deep at 11,000 meters (36,198 feet) below the ocean’s surface—that’s more than 2,000 meters (6,000 feet) taller than Mount Everest, Earth’s highest point. The pressure in the Challenger Deep is about eight tons per square inch.

Ocean Life Zones From the shoreline to the deepest seafloor, the ocean teems with life. The hundreds of thousands of marine species range from microscopic algae to the largest creature to have ever lived on Earth, the blue whale. The ocean has five major life zones, each with organisms uniquely adapted to their specific marine ecosystem . The epipelagic zone (1) is the sunlit upper layer of the ocean. It reaches from the surface to about 200 meters (660 feet) deep. The epipelagic zone is also known as the photic or euphotic zone, and can exist in lakes as well as the ocean. The sunlight in the epipelagic zone allows photosynthesis to occur. Photosynthesis is the process by which some organisms convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into energy and oxygen . In the ocean, photosynthesis takes place in plants and algae. Plants such as seagrass are similar to land plants—they have roots, stems, and leaves. Algae is a type of aquatic organism that can photosynthesize sunlight. Large algae such as kelp are called seaweed . Phytoplankton also live in the epipelagic zone. Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that include plants, algae, and bacteria. They are only visible when billions of them form algal blooms , and appear as green or blue splotches in the ocean. Phytoplankton are a basis of the ocean food web . Through photosynthesis, phytoplankton are responsible for almost half the oxygen released into Earth’s atmosphere. Animals such as krill (a type of shrimp), fish, and microscopic organisms called zooplankton all eat phytoplankton. In turn, these animals are eaten by whales, bigger fish, ocean birds, and human beings. The next zone down, stretching to about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) deep, is the mesopelagic zone (2). This zone is also known as the twilight zone because the light there is very dim. The lack of sunlight means there are no plants in the mesopelagic zone, but large fish and whales dive there to hunt prey . Fish in this zone are small and luminous . One of the most common is the lanternfish, which has organs along its side that produce light. Sometimes, animals from the mesopelagic zone (such as sperm whales ( Physeter macrocephalus ) and squid) dive into the bathypelagic zone (3), which reaches to about 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) deep. The bathypelagic zone is also known as the midnight zone because no light reaches it. Animals that live in the bathypelagic zone are small, but they often have huge mouths, sharp teeth, and expandable stomachs that let them eat any food that comes along. Most of this food comes from the remains of plants and animals drifting down from upper pelagic zones. Many bathypelagic animals do not have eyes because they are unneeded in the dark. Because the pressure is so great and it is so difficult to find nutrients , fish in the bathypelagic zone move slowly and have strong gills to extract oxygen from the water. The water at the bottom of the ocean, the abyssopelagic zone (4), is very salty and cold (2 degrees Celsius, or 35 degrees Fahrenheit). At depths up to 6,000 meters (19,700 feet), the pressure is very strong—11,000 pounds per square inch. This makes it impossible for most animals to live. Animals in this zone have bizarre adaptations to cope with their ecosystem. Many fish have jaws that look unhinged. The jaws allow them to drag their open mouth along the seafloor to find food, such as mussels, shrimp, and microscopic organisms. Many of the animals in this zone, including squid and fish, are bioluminescent. Bioluminescent organisms produce light through chemical reactions in their bodies. A type of angler fish, for example, has a glowing growth extending in front of its huge, toothy mouth. When smaller fish are attracted to the light, the angler fish simply snaps its jaws to eat its prey. The deepest ocean zone, found in trenches and canyons, is called the hadalpelagic zone (5). Few organisms live here. They include tiny isopods , a type of crustacean related to crabs and shrimp. Invertebrates such as sponges and sea cucumbers thrive in the abyssopelagic and hadalpelagic zones. Like many sea stars and jellyfish, these animals are almost entirely dependent on falling parts of dead or decaying plants and animals, called marine detritus . Not all bottom dwellers, however, depend on marine detritus. In 1977, oceanographers discovered a community of creatures on the ocean floor that feed on bacteria around openings called hydrothermal vents. These vents discharge superheated water enriched with minerals from Earth’s interior. The minerals nourish unique bacteria, which in turn nourish creatures such as crabs, clams, and tube worms. Ocean Currents Currents are streams of water running through a larger body of water. Oceans, rivers, and streams have currents. The ocean’s salinity and temperature and the coast’s geographic features determine an ocean current’s behavior. Earth’s rotation and wind also influence ocean currents. Currents flowing near the surface transport heat from the tropics to the poles and move cooler water back toward the Equator . This keeps the ocean from becoming extremely hot or cold. Deep, cold currents transport oxygen to organisms throughout the ocean. They also carry rich supplies of nutrients that all living things need. The nutrients come from plankton and the remains of other organisms that drift down and decay on the ocean floor. Along some coasts, winds and currents produce a phenomenon called upwelling . As winds push surface water away from shore, deep currents of cold water rise to take its place. This upwelling of deep water brings up nutrients that nourish new growth of plankton, providing food for fish. Ocean food chains constantly recycle food and energy this way.

Some ocean currents are enormous and extremely powerful. One of the most powerful is the Gulf Stream , a warm surface current that originates in the tropical Caribbean Sea and flows northeast along the eastern coast of the United States. The Gulf Stream measures up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) wide and is more than a kilometer (3,281 feet) deep. Like other ocean currents, the Gulf Stream plays a major role in climate. As the current travels north, it transfers moisture from its warm tropical waters to the air above. Westerly, or prevailing, winds carry the warm, moist air to the British Isles and to Scandinavia , causing them to have milder winters than they otherwise would experience at their northern latitudes . Northern parts of Norway are near the Arctic Circle but remain ice-free for most of the year because of the Gulf Stream. The weather pattern known as El Niño includes a change to the Humboldt Current (also called the Peru Current) off the western coast of South America. In El Niño conditions, a current of warm surface water travels east along the Equator and prevents the normal upwelling of the cold, nutrient-rich Humboldt Current. El Niño, which can devastate the fisheries of Peru and Ecuador, occurs every two to seven years, usually in December. The paths of ocean currents are partially determined by Earth’s rotation. This is known as the Coriolis effect . It causes large systems, such as winds and ocean currents that would normally move in a straight line, to veer to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere . People and the Ocean For thousands of years, people have depended on the ocean as a source of food and as a route for trade and exploration . Today, people continue to travel on the ocean and rely on the resources it contains. Nations continue to negotiate how to determine the extent of their territory beyond the coast. The United Nations’ Law of the Sea treaty established exclusive economic zones (EEZs), extending 200 nautical miles (230 miles) beyond a nation’s coastline. Even though some countries have not signed or ratified the treaty (including the U.S.), it is regarded as standard. Russia has proposed extending its EEZ beyond 200 nautical miles because two mid-ocean ridges, the Lomonosov and Medeleev Ridges, are extensions of the continental shelf belonging to Russia. This territory includes the North Pole. Russian explorers in a submersible vehicle planted a metal Russian flag on the disputed territory in 2007. Through the centuries, people have sailed the ocean on trade routes . Today, ships still carry most of the world’s freight , particularly bulky goods such as machinery, grain, and oil . Ocean ports are areas of commerce and culture. Water and land transportation meet there, and so do people of different professions: businesspeople who import and export goods and services; dockworkers who load and unload cargo ; and ships’ crews. Ports also have a high concentration of migrants and immigrants with a wide variety of ethnicities, nationalities, languages, and religions. Important ports in the U.S. are New York/ New Jersey and New Orleans. The busiest ports around the world include the Port of Shanghai in China and the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Ocean ports are also important for a nation’s armed forces. Some ports are used exclusively for military purposes, although most share space with commercial businesses. “The sun never sets on the British Empire” is a phrase used to explain the scope of the empire of Great Britain , mostly in the 19th century. Although based on the small European island nation of Great Britain, British military sea power extended its empire from Africa to the Americas, Asia, and Australia. Scientists and other experts hope the ocean will be used more widely as a source of renewable energy . Some countries have already harnessed the energy of ocean waves, temperature, currents, or tides to power turbines and generate electricity. One source of renewable energy are generators that are powered by tidal streams or ocean currents. They convert the movement of currents into energy. Ocean current generators have not been developed on a large scale, but are working in some places in Ireland and Norway. Some conservationists criticize the impact the large constructions have on the marine environment. Another source of renewable energy is ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). It uses the difference in temperature between the warm, surface water and cold, deep water to run an engine. OTEC facilities exist in places with significant differences in ocean depth: Japan, India and the U.S. state of Hawai'i, for instance. An emerging source of renewable energy is salinity gradient power , also known as osmotic power. It is an energy source that uses the power of freshwater entering into saltwater. This technology is still being developed, but it has potential in delta areas where fresh river water is constantly interacting with the ocean. Fishing Fishers catch more than 90 million tons of seafood each year, including more than 100 species of fish and shellfish . Millions of people, from professional fishers to business owners like restaurant owners and boat builders, depend on fisheries for their livelihood . Fishing can be classified in two ways. In subsistence fishing, fishers use their catch to help meet the nutritional needs of their families or communities. In commercial fishing , fishers sell their catch for money, goods or services. Popular subsistence and commercial fish are tuna, cod, and shrimp. Ocean fishing is also a popular recreational sport. Sport fishing can be competitive or noncompetitive. In sport fishing tournaments, individuals or teams compete for prizes based on the size of a particular species caught in a specific time period. Both competitive and noncompetitive sport fishers need licenses to fish, and may or may not keep the caught fish. Increasingly, sport fishers practice catch-and-release fishing, where a fish is caught, measured, weighed, and often recorded on film before being released back to the ocean. Popular game fish (fish caught for sport) are tuna and marlin. Whaling is a type of fishing that involves the harvesting of whales and dolphins. It has declined in popularity since the 19th century but is still a way of life for many cultures, such as those in Scandinavia, Japan, Canada, and the Caribbean. The ocean offers a wealth of fishing and whaling resources, but these resources are threatened. People have harvested so much fish and marine life for food and other products that some species have disappeared. During the 1800s and early 1900s, whalers killed thousands of whales for whale oil (wax made from boiled blubber ) and ivory (whales’ teeth). Some species, including the blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus ) and the right whale, were hunted nearly to extinction . Many species are still endangered today. In the 1960s and 1970s, catches of important food fish, such as herring in the North Sea and anchovies in the Pacific, began to drop off dramatically. Governments took notice of overfishing —harvesting more fish than the ecosystem can replenish . Fishers were forced to go farther out to sea to find fish, putting them at risk. (Deep-sea fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.) Now, they use advanced equipment, such as electronic fish finders and large gill nets or trawling nets, to catch more fish. This means there are far fewer fish to reproduce and replenish the supply. In 1992, the collapse, or disappearance, of cod in Canada’s Newfoundland Grand Banks put 40,000 fishers out of work. A ban was placed on cod fishing, and to this day, neither the cod nor the fisheries have recovered. To catch the dwindling numbers of fish, most fishers use trawl nets. They drag the nets along the seabed and across acres of ocean. These nets accidentally catch many small, young fish and mammals. Animals caught in fishing nets meant for other species are called bycatch . The fishing industry and fisheries management agencies argue about how to address the problem of bycatch and overfishing. Those involved in the fishing industry do not want to lose their jobs, while conservationists want to maintain healthy levels of fish in the ocean. A number of consumers are choosing to purchase sustainable seafood . Sustainable seafood is harvested from sources (either wild or farmed) that do not deplete the natural ecosystem. Mining and Drilling Many minerals come from the ocean. Sea salt is a mineral that has been used as a flavoring and preservative since ancient times. Sea salt has many additional minerals, such as calcium, that ordinary table salt lacks. Hydrothermal vents often form seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits , which contain precious metals. These SMS deposits sit on the ocean floor, sometimes in the deep ocean and sometimes closer to the surface. New techniques are being developed to mine the seafloor for valuable minerals such as copper, lead, nickel, gold, and silver. Mining companies employ thousands of people and provide goods and services for millions more. Critics of undersea mining maintain that it disrupts the local ecology . Organisms—corals, shrimp, mussels—that live on the seabed have their habitat disturbed, upsetting the food chain. In addition, destruction of habitat threatens the viability of species that have a narrow niche . Maui’s dolphin ( Cephalorhynchus hectori maui ), for instance, is a critically endangered species native to the waters of New Zealand’s North Island. The numbers of Maui’s dolphin are already reduced because of bycatch. Seabed mining threatens its habitat, putting it at further risk of extinction. Oil is one of the most valuable resources taken from the ocean today. Offshore oil rigs pump petroleum from wells drilled into the continental shelf. About one-quarter of all oil and natural gas supplies now comes from offshore oil deposits around the world. Offshore drilling requires complex engineering . An oil platform can be constructed directly onto the ocean floor, or it can “float” above an anchor. Depending on how far out on the continental shelf an oil platform is located, workers may have to be flown in. Underwater, or subsea, facilities are complicated groups of drilling equipment connected to each other and a single oil rig. Subsea production often requires remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs). Some countries invest in offshore drilling for profit and to prevent reliance on oil from other regions. The Gulf of Mexico near the U.S. states of Texas and Louisiana is heavily drilled. Several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the Netherlands, drill in the North Sea. Offshore drilling is a complicated and expensive program, however. There are a limited number of companies that have the knowledge and resources to work with local governments to set up offshore oil rigs. Most of these companies are based in Europe and North America, although they do business all over the world. Some governments have banned offshore oil drilling. They cite safety and environmental concerns. There have been several accidents where the platform itself has exploded, at the cost of many lives. Offshore drilling also poses threats to the ocean ecosystem. Spills and leaks from oil rigs and oil tankers that transport the material seriously harm marine mammals and birds. Oil coats feathers, impairing birds’ ability to maintain their body temperature and remain buoyant in the water. The fur of otters and seals are also coated, and oil entering the digestive tract of animals may damage their organs. Offshore oil rigs also release metal cuttings, minute amounts of oil, and drilling fluid into the ocean every day. Drilling fluid is the liquid used with machinery to drill holes deep in the planet. This liquid can contain pollutants such as toxic chemicals and heavy metals . Pollution Most oil pollution does not come from oil spills, however. It comes from the runoff of pollutants into streams and rivers that flow into the ocean. Most runoff comes from individual consumers. Cars, buses, motorcycles, and even lawn mowers spill oil and grease on roads, streets, and highways. (Runoff is what makes busy roads shiny and sometimes slippery.) Storm drains or creeks wash the runoff into local waterways, which eventually flow into the ocean. The largest U.S. oil spill in the ocean took place in Alaska in 1989, by the tanker Exxon Valdez . The Exxon Valdez spilled at least 10 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. In comparison, American and Canadian consumers spill about 16 million gallons of oil runoff into the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans every year. For centuries, people have used the ocean as a dumping ground for sewage and other wastes. In the 21st century, the wastes include not only oil, but also chemical runoff from factories and agriculture . These chemicals include nitrates and phosphates , which are often used as fertilizers . These chemicals encourage algae blooms. An algae bloom is an increase in algae and bacteria that threatens plants and other marine life. Algae blooms limit the amount of oxygen in a marine environment, leading to what are known as dead zones , where little life exists beneath the ocean’s surface. Algae blooms can spread across hundreds or even thousands of miles. Another source of pollution is plastics . Most ocean debris, or garbage, is plastic thrown out by consumers. Plastics such as water bottles, bags, six-pack rings, and packing material put marine life at risk. Sea animals are harmed by the plastic either by getting tangled in it or by eating it. An example of marine pollution consisting mainly of plastics is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch . The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a floating dump in the North Pacific. It’s about twice the size of Texas and probably contains about 100 million tons of debris. Most of this debris comes from the western coast of North America (the U.S. and Canada) and the eastern coast of Asia (Japan, China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea). Because of ocean currents and weather patterns, the patch is a relatively stable formation and contains new and disintegrating debris. The smaller pieces of plastic debris are eaten by jellyfish or other organisms, and are then consumed by larger predators in the food web. These plastic chemicals may then enter a human’s diet through fish or shellfish. Another source of pollution is carbon dioxide. The ocean absorbs most carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, which is necessary for life, is known as a greenhouse gas and traps radiation in Earth’s atmosphere. Carbon dioxide forms many acids, called carbonic acids , in the ocean. Ocean ecosystems have adapted to the presence of certain levels of carbonic acids, but the increase in carbon dioxide has led to an increase in ocean acids. This ocean acidification erodes the shells of animals such as clams, crabs, and corals. Global Warming Global warming contributes to rising ocean temperatures and sea levels . Warmer oceans radically alter the ecosystem. Global warming causes cold-water habitats to shrink, meaning there is less room for animals such as penguins, seals, or whales. Plankton, the base of the ocean food chain, thrives in cold water. Warming water means there will be less plankton available for marine life to eat. Melting glaciers and ice sheets contribute to sea level rise . Rising sea levels threaten coastal ecosystems and property. River deltas and estuaries are put at risk for flooding. Coasts are more likely to suffer erosion . Seawater more often contaminates sources of fresh water. All these consequences—flooding, erosion, water contamination—put low-lying island nations, such as the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, at high risk for disaster. To find ways to protect the ocean from pollution and the effects of climate change, scientists from all over the world are cooperating in studies of ocean waters and marine life. They are also working together to control pollution and limit global warming. Many countries are working to reach agreements on how to manage and harvest ocean resources. Although the ocean is vast, it is more easily polluted and damaged than people once thought. It requires care and protection as well as expert management. Only then can it continue to provide the many resources that living things—including people—need.

The Most Coast . . . Canada has 202,080 kilometers (125,567 miles) of coastline. Short But Sweet . . . Monaco has four kilometers (2.5 miles) of coastline.

No, the Toilet Doesn't Flush Backward in Australia The Coriolis effect, which can be seen in large-scale phenomena like trade winds and ocean currents, cannot be duplicated in small basins like sinks.

Extraterrestrial Oceans Mars probably had oceans billions of years ago, but ice and dry seabeds are all that remain today. Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, is probably covered by an ocean of water more than 96 kilometers (60 miles) deep, but it is trapped beneath a layer of ice, which the warmer water below frequently cracks. One of Saturn's moons, Enceladus, has cryovolcanism, or ice volcanoes. Instead of erupting with lava, ice volcanoes erupt with water, ammonia, or methane. Ice volcanoes may indicate oceanic activity.

International Oil Spill The largest oil spill in history, the Gulf War oil spill, released at least 40 million gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf. Valves at the Sea Island oil terminal in Kuwait were opened on purpose after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991. The oil was intended to stop a landing by U.S. Marines, but the oil drifted south to the shores of Saudi Arabia. A study of the Gulf War oil spill (conducted by the United Nations, several countries in the Middle East and the United States) found that most of the spilled oil evaporated and caused little damage to the environment.

Ocean Seas The floors of the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea are more like the ocean than other seas they do not rest on a continent, but directly on the ocean's basalt crust.

Early Ocean Explorers Polynesian people navigated a region of the Pacific Ocean now known as the Polynesian Triangle by 700 C.E. The corners of the Polynesian Triangle are islands: the American state of Hawai'i, the country of New Zealand, and the Chilean territory of Easter Island (also known as Rapa Nui). The distance between Easter Island and New Zealand, the longest length of the Polynesian Triangle, is one-quarter of Earth's circumference, more than 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles). Polynesians successfully traveled these distances in canoes. It would be hundreds of years before another culture explored the ocean to this extent.

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Related Resources

7.1 Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion

Section learning objectives.

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

• Explain Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion
• Apply Kepler’s laws to calculate characteristics of orbits

Teacher Support

The learning objectives in this section will help your students master the following standards:

• (C) analyze and describe accelerated motion in two dimensions using equations, including projectile and circular examples.

In this section students will apply Kepler’s laws of planetary motion to objects in the solar system.

[BL] [OL] Discuss the historical setting in which Kepler worked. Most people still thought Earth was the center of the universe, and yet Kepler not only knew that the planets circled the sun, he found patterns in the paths they followed. What would it be like to be that far ahead of almost everyone? A fascinating description of this is given in the program Cosmos with Carl Sagan (Episode 3, Harmony of the Worlds).

[AL] Explain that Kepler’s laws were laws and not theories. Laws describe patterns in nature that always repeat themselves under the same set of conditions. Theories provide an explanation for the patterns. Kepler provided no explanation.

Section Key Terms

Concepts related to kepler’s laws of planetary motion.

Examples of orbits abound. Hundreds of artificial satellites orbit Earth together with thousands of pieces of debris. The moon’s orbit around Earth has intrigued humans from time immemorial. The orbits of planets, asteroids, meteors, and comets around the sun are no less interesting. If we look farther, we see almost unimaginable numbers of stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects orbiting one another and interacting through gravity.

All these motions are governed by gravitational force. The orbital motions of objects in our own solar system are simple enough to describe with a few fairly simple laws. The orbits of planets and moons satisfy the following two conditions:

• The mass of the orbiting object, m , is small compared to the mass of the object it orbits, M .
• The system is isolated from other massive objects.

[OL] Ask the students to explain the criteria to see if they understand relative mass and isolated systems.

Based on the motion of the planets about the sun, Kepler devised a set of three classical laws, called Kepler’s laws of planetary motion , that describe the orbits of all bodies satisfying these two conditions:

• The orbit of each planet around the sun is an ellipse with the sun at one focus.
• Each planet moves so that an imaginary line drawn from the sun to the planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times.
• The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets about the sun is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the sun.

These descriptive laws are named for the German astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571–1630). He devised them after careful study (over some 20 years) of a large amount of meticulously recorded observations of planetary motion done by Tycho Brahe (1546–1601). Such careful collection and detailed recording of methods and data are hallmarks of good science. Data constitute the evidence from which new interpretations and meanings can be constructed. Let’s look closer at each of these laws.

[BL] Relate orbit to year and rotation to day. Be sure that students know that an object rotates on its axis and revolves around a parent body as it follows its orbit.

[OL] See how many levels of orbital motion the students know and fill in the ones they don’t. For example, moons orbit around planets; planets around stars; stars around the center of the galaxy, etc.

[AL] From the point of view of Earth, which objects appear (incorrectly) to be orbiting Earth (stars, the sun, galaxies) and which can be seen to be orbiting parent bodies (the moon, moons of other planets, stars in other galaxies)?

Kepler’s First Law

The orbit of each planet about the sun is an ellipse with the sun at one focus, as shown in Figure 7.2 . The planet’s closest approach to the sun is called perihelion and its farthest distance from the sun is called aphelion .

[AL] Ask for a definition of planet. Prepare to discuss Pluto’s demotion if it comes up. Discuss the first criterion in terms of center of rotation of a moon-planet system. Explain that for all planet-moon systems in the solar system, the center of rotation is within the planet. This is not true for Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, because their masses are similar enough that they rotate around a point in space between them.

If you know the aphelion ( r a ) and perihelion ( r p ) distances, then you can calculate the semi-major axis ( a ) and semi-minor axis ( b ).

[AL] If any students are interested and proficient in algebra and geometry, ask them to derive a formula that relates the length of the string and the distance between pins to the major and minor axes of an ellipse. Explain that this is a real world problem for workers who design elliptical tabletops and mirrors.

[BL] [OL] Impress upon the students that Kepler had to crunch an enormous amount of data and that all his calculations had to be done by hand. Ask students to think of similar projects where scientists found order in a daunting amount of data (the periodic table, DNA structure, climate models, etc.).

Teacher Demonstration

Demonstrate the pins and string method of drawing an ellipse, as shown in Figure 7.3 , or have the students try it at home or in class.

Ask students: Why does the string and pin method create a shape that conforms to Kepler's second law? That is, why is the shape an ellipse?

Explain that the pins are the foci and explain what each of the three sections of string represents. Note that the pencil represents a planet and one of the pins represents the sun.

Kepler’s Second Law

Each planet moves so that an imaginary line drawn from the sun to the planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times, as shown in Figure 7.4 .

Ask the students to imagine how complicated it would be to describe the motion of the planets mathematically, if it is assumed that Earth is stationary. And yet, people tried to do this for hundreds of years, while overlooking the simple explanation that all planets circle the sun.

[OL] Ask students to use this figure to understand why planets and comets travel faster when they are closer to the sun. Explain that time intervals and areas are constant, but both velocity and distance from the sun vary.

Tips For Success

Note that while, for historical reasons, Kepler’s laws are stated for planets orbiting the sun, they are actually valid for all bodies satisfying the two previously stated conditions.

Kepler’s Third Law

The ratio of the periods squared of any two planets around the sun is equal to the ratio of their average distances from the sun cubed. In equation form, this is

where T is the period (time for one orbit) and r is the average distance (also called orbital radius). This equation is valid only for comparing two small masses orbiting a single large mass. Most importantly, this is only a descriptive equation; it gives no information about the cause of the equality.

[BL] See if students can rearrange this equation to solve for any one of the variables when the other three are known.

[AL] Show a solution for one of the periods T or radii r and ask students to interpret the fractional powers on the right hand side of the equation.

[OL] Emphasize that this approach only works for two satellites orbiting the same parent body. The parent body must be the same because r 2 / T 2 = G M / ( 4 π 2 ) r 2 / T 2 = G M / ( 4 π 2 ) and M is the mass of the parent body. If M changes, the ratio r 3 / T 2 also changes.

Links To Physics

History: ptolemy vs. copernicus.

Before the discoveries of Kepler, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and others, the solar system was thought to revolve around Earth as shown in Figure 7.5 (a) . This is called the Ptolemaic model , named for the Greek philosopher Ptolemy who lived in the second century AD. The Ptolemaic model is characterized by a list of facts for the motions of planets, with no explanation of cause and effect. There tended to be a different rule for each heavenly body and a general lack of simplicity.

Figure 7.5 (b) represents the modern or Copernican model . In this model, a small set of rules and a single underlying force explain not only all planetary motion in the solar system, but also all other situations involving gravity. The breadth and simplicity of the laws of physics are compelling.

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) first had the idea that the planets circle the sun, in about 1514. It took him almost 20 years to work out the mathematical details for his model. He waited another 10 years or so to publish his work. It is thought he hesitated because he was afraid people would make fun of his theory. Actually, the reaction of many people was more one of fear and anger. Many people felt the Copernican model threatened their basic belief system. About 100 years later, the astronomer Galileo was put under house arrest for providing evidence that planets, including Earth, orbited the sun. In all, it took almost 300 years for everyone to admit that Copernicus had been right all along.

Grasp Check

Explain why Earth does actually appear to be the center of the solar system.

• Earth appears to be the center of the solar system because Earth is at the center of the universe, and everything revolves around it in a circular orbit.
• Earth appears to be the center of the solar system because, in the reference frame of Earth, the sun, moon, and planets all appear to move across the sky as if they were circling Earth.
• Earth appears to be at the center of the solar system because Earth is at the center of the solar system and all the heavenly bodies revolve around it.
• Earth appears to be at the center of the solar system because Earth is located at one of the foci of the elliptical orbit of the sun, moon, and other planets.

Introduce the historical debate around the geocentric versus the heliocentric view of the universe. Stress how controversial this debate was at the time. Explain that this was important to people because their world view and cultural beliefs were at stake.

Virtual Physics

Acceleration.

This simulation allows you to create your own solar system so that you can see how changing distances and masses determines the orbits of planets. Click Help for instructions.

• The orbiting object moves fastest when it is closest to the central object and slowest when it is farthest away.
• The orbiting object moves slowest when it is closest to the central object and fastest when it is farthest away.
• The orbiting object moves with the same speed at every point on the circumference of the elliptical orbit.
• There is no relationship between the speed of the object and the location of the planet on the circumference of the orbit.

Give the students ample time to manipulate this animation. It may take some time to get the parameters adjusted so that they can see how mass and eccentricity affect the orbit. Initially, the planet is likely to disappear off the screen or crash into the sun.

Calculations Related to Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion

Refer back to Figure 7.2 (a) . Notice which distances are constant. The foci are fixed, so distance f 1 f 2 ¯ f 1 f 2 ¯ is a constant. The definition of an ellipse states that the sum of the distances f 1 m ¯ + m f 2 ¯ f 1 m ¯ + m f 2 ¯ is also constant. These two facts taken together mean that the perimeter of triangle Δ f 1 m f 2 Δ f 1 m f 2 must also be constant. Knowledge of these constants will help you determine positions and distances of objects in a system that includes one object orbiting another.

Refer back to Figure 7.4 . The second law says that the segments have equal area and that it takes equal time to sweep through each segment. That is, the time it takes to travel from A to B equals the time it takes to travel from C to D, and so forth. Velocity v equals distance d divided by time t : v = d / t v = d / t . Then, t = d / v t = d / v , so distance divided by velocity is also a constant. For example, if we know the average velocity of Earth on June 21 and December 21, we can compare the distance Earth travels on those days.

The degree of elongation of an elliptical orbit is called its eccentricity ( e ). Eccentricity is calculated by dividing the distance f from the center of an ellipse to one of the foci by half the long axis a .

When e = 0 e = 0 , the ellipse is a circle.

The area of an ellipse is given by A = π a b A = π a b , where b is half the short axis. If you know the axes of Earth’s orbit and the area Earth sweeps out in a given period of time, you can calculate the fraction of the year that has elapsed.

[OL] Review the definitions of major and minor axes, semi-major and semi-minor axes, and distance f . The major axis is the length of the ellipse and passes through both foci. The minor axis is the width of the ellipse and is perpendicular to the major axis. The semi-major and semi-minor axes are half of the major and minor axes, respectively.

Worked Example

At its closest approach, a moon comes within 200,000 km of the planet it orbits. At that point, the moon is 300,000 km from the other focus of its orbit, f 2 . The planet is focus f 1 of the moon’s elliptical orbit. How far is the moon from the planet when it is 260,000 km from f 2 ?

Show and label the ellipse that is the orbit in your solution. Picture the triangle f 1 m f 2 collapsed along the major axis and add up the lengths of the three sides. Find the length of the unknown side of the triangle when the moon is 260,000 km from f 2 .

Perimeter of f 1 m f 2 = 200 , 000 km + 100,000 km + 300,000 km = 600,000 km. f 1 m f 2 = 200 , 000 km + 100,000 km + 300,000 km = 600,000 km.

m f 1 = 600,000 km − ( 100,000 km + 260,000 km ) = 240,000 km. m f 1 = 600,000 km − ( 100,000 km + 260,000 km ) = 240,000 km.

The perimeter of triangle f 1 mf 2 must be constant because the distance between the foci does not change and Kepler’s first law says the orbit is an ellipse. For any ellipse, the sum of the two sides of the triangle, which are f 1 m and mf 2 , is constant.

Walk the students through the process of mentally collapsing the f 1 mf 2 at the end of the major axis to reveal what the three sides of the triangle f 1 mf 2 are equal to. Picture the sections of the string as the pencil approaches the major axis. This distance f 1 f 2 remains constant, f 1 m is the distance from f 1 to the end of the major axis, and mf 2 is f 1 m + f 1 f 2 .

[OL] Have students relate eccentricity, distance between foci, and shape of orbit.

[AL] Ask for examples of orbits with high eccentricity (comets, Pluto) and low eccentricity (moon, Earth).

Figure 7.6 shows the major and minor axes of an ellipse. The semi-major and semi-minor axes are half of these, respectively.

Earth’s orbit is very slightly elliptical, with a semi-major axis of 1.49598 × 10 8 km and a semi-minor axis of 1.49577 × 10 8 km. If Earth’s period is 365.26 days, what area does an Earth-to-sun line sweep past in one day?

Each day, Earth sweeps past an equal-sized area, so we divide the total area by the number of days in a year to find the area swept past in one day. For total area use A = π a b A = π a b . Calculate A , the area inside Earth’s orbit and divide by the number of days in a year (i.e., its period).

The area swept out in one day is thus 1.93 × 10 14 km 2 1.93 × 10 14 km 2 .

The answer is based on Kepler’s law, which states that a line from a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times.

Explain that this formula is easy to remember because it is similar to A = π r 2 . A = π r 2 . Discuss Earth’s eccentricity. Compare it with that of other planets, asteroids, or comets to further emphasize what defines a planet. Note that Earth has one of the least eccentric orbits and Mercury has the most eccentric orbit of the planets.

[BL] Have the students memorized the value of π ? π ?

[OL] [AL] What is the formula when a = b ? Is the formula familiar?

[OL] Can the student verify this statement by rearranging the equation?

Kepler’s third law states that the ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets ( T 1 , T 2 ) is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average orbital distance from the sun ( r 1 , r 2 ). Mathematically, this is represented by

From this equation, it follows that the ratio r 3 /T 2 is the same for all planets in the solar system. Later we will see how the work of Newton leads to a value for this constant.

Given that the moon orbits Earth each 27.3 days and that it is an average distance of 3.84 × 10 8 m 3.84 × 10 8 m from the center of Earth, calculate the period of an artificial satellite orbiting at an average altitude of 1,500 km above Earth’s surface.

The period, or time for one orbit, is related to the radius of the orbit by Kepler’s third law, given in mathematical form by T 1 2 T 2 2 = r 1 3 r 2 3 T 1 2 T 2 2 = r 1 3 r 2 3 . Let us use the subscript 1 for the moon and the subscript 2 for the satellite. We are asked to find T 2 . The given information tells us that the orbital radius of the moon is r 1 = 3.84 × 10 8 m r 1 = 3.84 × 10 8 m , and that the period of the moon is T 1 = 27.3 days T 1 = 27.3 days . The height of the artificial satellite above Earth’s surface is given, so to get the distance r 2 from the center of Earth we must add the height to the radius of Earth (6380 km). This gives r 2 = 1500 km + 6380 km = 7880 km r 2 = 1500 km + 6380 km = 7880 km . Now all quantities are known, so T 2 can be found.

To solve for T 2 , we cross-multiply and take the square root, yielding

This is a reasonable period for a satellite in a fairly low orbit. It is interesting that any satellite at this altitude will complete one orbit in the same amount of time.

Remind the students that this only works when the satellites are small compared to the parent object and when both satellites orbit the same parent object.

Practice Problems

A planet with no axial tilt is located in another solar system. It circles its sun in a very elliptical orbit so that the temperature varies greatly throughout the year. If the year there has 612 days and the inhabitants celebrate the coldest day on day 1 of their calendar, when is the warmest day?

• 2.75 × 10 3 km
• 1.96 × 10 4 km
• 1.40 × 10 5 km
• 1.00 × 10 6 km

Check Your Understanding

• Kepler’s laws are purely descriptive.
• Kepler’s laws are purely causal.
• Kepler’s laws are descriptive as well as causal.
• Kepler’s laws are neither descriptive nor causal.

True or false—According to Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, a satellite increases its speed as it approaches its parent body and decreases its speed as it moves away from the parent body.

• One focus is the parent body, and the other is located at the opposite end of the ellipse, at the same distance from the center as the parent body.
• One focus is the parent body, and the other is located at the opposite end of the ellipse, at half the distance from the center as the parent body.
• One focus is the parent body and the other is located outside of the elliptical orbit, on the line on which is the semi-major axis of the ellipse.
• One focus is on the line containing the semi-major axis of the ellipse, and the other is located anywhere on the elliptical orbit of the satellite.

Use the Check Your Answers questions to assess whether students master the learning objectives for this section. If students are struggling with a specific objective, the Check Your Answers will help identify which objective is causing the problem and direct students to the relevant content.

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Essay on Solar System and Planets in English for Children and Students

Table of Contents

Our solar system consists of a sun, eight planets, satellites, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids and comets. The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Earlier it had nine planets. However, Pluto, the ninth planet does not meet the latest standards set for the planets. It has now been termed as a dwarf planet thereby increasing the count of the dwarf planets in our solar system to five.

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Long and Short Essays on Solar System and Planets in English

Here are long and short essay on solar system and planets in English, to help you with the topic in your exams or essay writing/debate competitions.

After going through these solar system and planets essay, you will know about the formation of solar system, when the planets were discovered, the dwarf planets, satellites and characteristics of individual planets etc.

All in all, these Solar System and Planets Essays will make you familiar with the universe we are a part of, so much so, that you can confidently take part in debates, talk shows and discussions, on our solar system and its planets. Please go through these essays to select your needed ones:

Short Essay on Solar System and Planets (200 words)

The universe is massive. It is much bigger than we can imagine and our solar system is just a small part of it. Our solar system houses a big, bright star called the Sun. The Sun is a rich source of electromagnetic energy that it exudes in the form of light and heat. There are eight planets in our solar system namely, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These planets revolve around the sun in a fixed path referred to as the orbit. Several other smaller objects also move around the sun.

Many planets in our solar system have natural satellites called the moon. While Earth has one moon, Mars has two, Neptune has 14 moons, Uranus has 27 moons, Saturn has 62 moons and Jupiter has as many as 79 moons. Even the dwarf planet Pluto has 5 moons. Mercury and Venus, on the other hand, do not have any moon. Just as the planets move around the Sun in a fixed path, moons orbit around their respective planets.

In addition to the Sun, planets and moons, our solar system consists of several other celestial bodies called the comets, asteroids and meteoroids. While our solar system has only one star, many other solar systems are known to have at least two stars.

Essay on Solar System and Planets (300 words)

Introduction

Our solar system was formed billions of years ago. It consists of numerous celestial bodies including planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, meteorites and a massive star. Our solar system forms a part of the Milky Way Galaxy. Various celestial bodies in our solar system revolve around the Sun directly or indirectly.

The Formation of the Solar System

It is believed that around 4.6 billion years ago, the gravitational collapse of a giant interstellar molecular cloud gave shape to our solar system. Major part of the collapsing mass collated at the centre, that formed the Sun. The remaining mass flattened into a proto planetary disk and formed the planets, satellites and other objects in the solar system. Planet Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system, contains major chunk of the remaining mass.

Our solar system is believed to have evolved substantially since its inception. Many new moons have come into shape from the gases and dust around the planets. Several collisions among the celestial bodies have also occurred and still continue to occur thereby contributing to the evolution of the solar system.

The Discovery of Planets

For thousands of years astronomers believed that Earth was stationary and formed the centre of the universe. It was in the 18 th century that the astronomers accepted that Earth orbits around the Sun.

In 2 nd millennium BC, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were identified by ancient Babylonian astronomers. Later, Nicolaus Copernicus also identified them. Uranus was discovered by famous astronomer, Sir William Herschel in 1781. Neptune was discovered by English astronomer and mathematician, John Couch Adams in the year 1846. It was in the year 1930 that the ninth planet, Pluto was discovered. Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto which is now identified as a dwarf planet.

The study of the universe and heavenly bodies is one of the most fascinating studies. Through continuous research, astronomers have found out several surprising facts about the universe and our solar system. Our solar system is ever evolving and newer facts are being discovered and studied by researchers year after year.

Essay on Solar System and Planets (400 words)

Celestial bodies are objects that naturally occur in the observable universe. These include the stars, natural satellites, planets, asteroids, galaxies, comets and meteorites. Our solar system consists of a Sun, eight planets their moons, five dwarf planets and asteroids among other celestial bodies. Brief information about each of the celestial bodies present in our solar system is given below.

The Sun is the only star on our solar system. It is stationary and the other objects in our solar system revolve around it. It is the most massive component of our solar system. Research states that it comprises of 99.86% of the entire mass of our solar system.

The Planets

There are eight planets in the solar system. These are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The planets have been divided into two groups – Terrestrial Planets and Giant Planets. Planets vary based on their size, geological features, mass, number of satellites and various other factors. No traces of life have been found on any planet apart from Earth.

The Dwarf Planets

There are five dwarf planets in our solar system. These are Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Eris and Makemake. While Ceres is situated in the asteroid belt others are located in the outer solar system. Dwarf planets are quite like the full size planets. The only difference is that the full size planets have cleared the objects in the area of their orbit whereas the dwarf planets have not.

Astronomers claim that there are six other objects in our solar system that are akin to the dwarf planets. These may be officially recognized as dwarf planets in the times to come.

There are a total of 193 moons in our solar system as per a research conducted in the year 2008. Out of these, 185 moons orbit around the full size planets and 8 moons revolve around the dwarf planets. Moons come in various sizes and shapes. They differ from each other in various ways. Most of the moons are airless. However, there are some that have atmosphere. Some even have hidden oceans. Each planet has different number of moons. Earth has just one moon while Jupiter has the highest number of moons. It has a total of 79 moons. Moons orbit around their respective planets.

In addition to the aforementioned, there are many other celestial bodies in our solar system. These include the Interplanetary Medium, Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, asteroids and meteoroids. The Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud comprise of billions of icy objects. Each celestial body in our solar system is unique with its own set of features.

Essay on Solar System and Planets (500 words)

Our Solar System – A Small Part of the Universe

Our solar system is huge but nothing compared to the size of the universe. The universe is humongous and is believed to encompass numerous solar systems consisting of several planets, stars and other heavenly bodies. The universe is all space and time and it is not possible to calculate its spatial size. The size of the observable universe is estimated to be 93 billion light years.

The Galaxies and Solar Systems

Research shows that just like our solar system there are numerous other solar systems in the universe. The universe consists of billions of galaxies. Each of these galaxies has uncountable stars and many of these stars are said to have solar systems of their own. The size of the stars, the number of planets, the geological features of the planets, the number and size of the natural satellites vary from solar system to solar system.

Our solar system is a part of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy is huge. It has more than 100 billion stars. More than 2500 stars with planets orbiting around them have been discovered in the Milky Way Galaxy. The study in this field is going on constantly. There are numerous planetary systems that the scientists and astronomers are yet to discover.

Our Solar System

Our solar system encompasses Sun which is a big ball of fire. Sun is stationary and forms the centre of our solar system. Eight planets namely, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune revolve around the Sun. Each of these planets move in a fixed path in its own set speed. The geological features of each of these planets are different. While Neptune is freezing cold, Venus is scorching hot. Similarly, while Jupiter is massively big, Mercury is comparatively very small in size. The planet is even smaller than some of the moons in our solar system. The atmosphere of each of the planets is different. Planets have been divided into two groups and the features of the planets within each group also vary vastly.

Earth is the only planet in our solar system which is known to have life. It is filled with vast oceans and gases such as oxygen and nitrogen that render life. Mars is said to share some similarities with Earth. Evidences of ice have been found on the planet. The planet is extremely cold and thus life there seems impossible. However, it is believed that the planet was once wet and warm and life existed here. Astronomers are studying this planet closely and have found many interesting facts about the same. These planets have different numbers of natural satellites.

Apart from this, there are five dwarf planets in our solar system. These are Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, Eris and Pluto. Earlier there were nine planets in our solar system and Pluto was one among them. However, it has now been termed as a dwarf planet.

The Universe is vast and there is a lot to study and discover. Scientists have studied our solar system deeply for centuries and are now moving beyond to study other solar systems and galaxies. A lot of interesting facts about this enchanting universe are likely to surface in the times to come.

Long Essay on Solar System and Planets (600 words)

Our solar system consists of eight planets that revolve around the Sun, which is central to our solar system. These planets have broadly been classified into two categories – inner planets and outer planets. There are four inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The inner planets are closer to the Sun and smaller in size as compared to the outer planets. These are also referred to as the Terrestrial planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are termed as the outer planets. These are massive in size and are often referred to as Giant planets.

Here is brief information about each of these planets:

The smallest planet in our solar system, Mercury is also the closest to the Sun. Its geological features consist of lobed ridges and impact craters. Being closest to the Sun, Mercury’s temperature sores extremely high during the day time. It can go as high as 450 degree Celsius. Surprisingly, the nights here are freezing cold.

Mercury has a diameter of 4,878 km. It does not have any natural satellite.

Venus is said to be the hottest planet of our solar system. It has a toxic atmosphere that traps heat. It is also the brightest planet and is visible to the naked eye. It has a thick silicate layer around an iron core which is similar to that of Earth. Astronomers have seen traces of internal geological activity on this planet.

Venus has a diameter of 12,104 km. Just like Mars, Venus also does not have any natural satellite.

Earth is the largest inner planet. Two-third of this planet is covered with water. It is the only planet in our solar system where life is known to exist. Earth’s atmosphere, which is rich in nitrogen and oxygen, makes it fit for the survival of various species of flora and fauna. However, human activities are having negative impact on its atmosphere.

Earth has a diameter of 12,760 km. It has one natural satellite, the moon.

Mars, the fourth planet from Sun, is often referred to as the Red Planet. The iron oxide present on this planet gives it a reddish appeal. The planet is cold and has geological features similar to that of Earth. This is the reason why it has captured the interest of astronomers like no other planet. Traces of frozen ice caps have been found on the planet.

Mars has a diameter of 6,787 km and two natural satellites.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It has a strong magnetic field. It largely consists of helium and hydrogen. It has a Great Red Spot and cloud bands. A giant storm is believed to have raged here for hundreds of years.

Jupiter has a diameter of 139,822 km and has as many as 79 natural satellites.

Saturn is known for its ring system. These rings are made of tiny particles of ice and rock. Its atmosphere is quite like that of Jupiter as it is also largely composed of hydrogen and helium.

Saturn has a diameter of 120,500 km. It has 62 natural satellites that are mainly composed of ice.

Uranus, the seventh planet from Sun, is the lightest of all the giant, outer planets. It has a blue tint which is because of the presence of Methane in the atmosphere. Its core is colder than the other giant planets. The planet orbits on its side.

Uranus has a diameter of 51,120 km and 27 natural satellites.

The last planet in our solar system, Neptune is also the coldest of all. It is around the same size as the Uranus but is much more massive and dense. Neptune’s atmosphere is composed of helium, hydrogen, methane and ammonia. It experiences extremely strong winds. It is the only planet in our solar system which is found by mathematical prediction.

Neptune has a diameter of 49,530 km. It has 14 natural satellites.

Scientists and astronomers have been studying our solar system for centuries and the findings are quite interesting. Various planets that form a part of our solar system have their own unique geological features and are different from each other in several ways.

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Environmental Problems: Care of the Planet Essay

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Due to rapid population increases, human-generated conditions have caused significant disruption in the earth’s biosphere. Increased population has caused an increase in deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. According to Brusseau et al. (2019), the world’s population is progressively increasing at a rapid rate. This increase has promoted encroachment of forested land for human settlement. Forest clearance causes climate change, soil erosion, and flooding. Moreover, the burning of fossil fuels due to the development of technology has led to increased emissions of carbon dioxide, which destroys the ozone layer, worsening the problem of climate change. According to research done on the effect of fossil fuel on the environment, fossil fuel is the leading cause of the environmental population (Li et al., 2019). Population pressure and technology have caused significant disruption of the biosphere through deforestation and fossil fuel use.

The earth faces three major environmental crises: overpopulation, climate change, and global warming. Overpopulation is the leading cause of the two other problems. Overpopulation has been caused by the rapid increase in population in developing countries. The rapid population leads to an increase in the clearance of forests and industrialization. The gases produced in these industries disrupt the ozone layer, increasing temperatures. This situation with high temperatures causes the melting of glacial ice and increased precipitation promoting global warming (Tebaldi et al., 2021). Continued global warming slowly leads to changes in climate over time. The continued increase in population, global warming, and climate change has caused an environmental crisis.

In conclusion, human beings should take good care of their planet. They should use birth control measures to control the rate of population growth. Moreover, governments should encourage the use of renewable energy sources to fossil fuels to reduce the effects of climate change and global warming. More effort should be given to planting trees to encounter the impact of deforestation (Al-Ghussain, 2018). Every person has to take care of the environment. Therefore, every person should make it their role to conserve the environment and save the world from environmental crises.

Brusseau, M. L., Pepper, I. L., & Gerba, C. P. (2019). The Extent of Global Pollution. Environmental and Pollution Science , 3–8. Web.

Li, K., Fang, L., & He, L. (2019). How population and energy price affect China’s environmental pollution? Energy Policy , 129 , 386–396. Web.

Tebaldi, C., Ranasinghe, R., Vousdoukas, M., Rasmussen, D. J., Vega-Westhoff, B., Kirezci, E., Kopp, R. E., Sriver, R., & Mentaschi, L. (2021). Extreme sea levels at different global warming levels. Nature Climate Change , 11 (9), 746–751. Web.

Al-Ghussain, L. (2018). Global warming: Review on driving forces and mitigation. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy , 38 (1), 13–21. Web.

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Bibliography

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Climate Change Essay for Students and Children

500+ words climate change essay.

Climate change refers to the change in the environmental conditions of the earth. This happens due to many internal and external factors. The climatic change has become a global concern over the last few decades. Besides, these climatic changes affect life on the earth in various ways. These climatic changes are having various impacts on the ecosystem and ecology. Due to these changes, a number of species of plants and animals have gone extinct.

When Did it Start?

The climate started changing a long time ago due to human activities but we came to know about it in the last century. During the last century, we started noticing the climatic change and its effect on human life. We started researching on climate change and came to know that the earth temperature is rising due to a phenomenon called the greenhouse effect. The warming up of earth surface causes many ozone depletion, affect our agriculture , water supply, transportation, and several other problems.

Reason Of Climate Change

Although there are hundreds of reason for the climatic change we are only going to discuss the natural and manmade (human) reasons.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Natural Reasons

These include volcanic eruption , solar radiation, tectonic plate movement, orbital variations. Due to these activities, the geographical condition of an area become quite harmful for life to survive. Also, these activities raise the temperature of the earth to a great extent causing an imbalance in nature.

Human Reasons

Man due to his need and greed has done many activities that not only harm the environment but himself too. Many plant and animal species go extinct due to human activity. Human activities that harm the climate include deforestation, using fossil fuel , industrial waste , a different type of pollution and many more. All these things damage the climate and ecosystem very badly. And many species of animals and birds got extinct or on a verge of extinction due to hunting.

Effects Of Climatic Change

These climatic changes have a negative impact on the environment. The ocean level is rising, glaciers are melting, CO2 in the air is increasing, forest and wildlife are declining, and water life is also getting disturbed due to climatic changes. Apart from that, it is calculated that if this change keeps on going then many species of plants and animals will get extinct. And there will be a heavy loss to the environment.

What will be Future?

If we do not do anything and things continue to go on like right now then a day in future will come when humans will become extinct from the surface of the earth. But instead of neglecting these problems we start acting on then we can save the earth and our future.

Although humans mistake has caused great damage to the climate and ecosystem. But, it is not late to start again and try to undo what we have done until now to damage the environment. And if every human start contributing to the environment then we can be sure of our existence in the future.

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‘Alien Earth’ close to our planet could host life, scientists discover

A rare discovery of a planet 40 light years away could provide crucial answers to questions about life in the Universe.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC)

Humans could now be closer to finding a second home as astronomers have made a rare discovery: a new Earth-sized planet that could support human life.

If the planet has an atmosphere, the scientists think it could also hold water – and maybe, just maybe, even host alien life on its surface.

Published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , the new study describes the rocky exoplanet known as Gliese 12 b . It has the same surface temperature as the UK in the 2022 heatwave – a balmy 42ºC (107ºF) – making it, in theory, habitable.

While it’s still much higher than Earth’s typical surface temperature of 15º C (59º F), Gliese 12 b's climate is still considered unusually cold – it’s one of the chilliest of the 5,000 exoplanets confirmed so far.

Gliese 12 b was discovered by an international team of scientists alongside NASA and ESA.

“This is a really exciting discovery and will help our research into planets similar to Earth across our Galaxy. Thrillingly, this planet is the closest Earth-sized and temperature planet we know,” one of the scientists, University of Warwick astrophysicist Dr Thomas Wilson , said.

“Planets like Gliese 12 b are very few and far between, so for us to be able to examine one this closely and learn about its atmosphere and temperature is very rare.”

Wilson and the team discovered the planet 40 light years away, in the constellation of Pisces orbiting a cool red dwarf star called Gliese 12. That’s the planet’s equivalent of our Sun , except Gliese 12 is only 27 per cent the size of ours and has 60 per cent its surface temperature.

The planet is similar in size to Earth (though slightly closer to Venus in size), and orbits its star every 12.8 days – a much shorter ‘year’ than our 365 days.

So what does ‘habitable’ actually mean? Being habitable means that it’s possible humans could survive on a planet. But the scientists still don’t know whether Gliese 12 b has an atmosphere, and what the atmosphere could be made of if it does.

Answering this question will be the researchers’ next step – and the result would be crucial in unlocking information about atmospheres in our own Solar System. In particular, the researchers want to find out why Earth’s and Venus’s are so different: Venus was made inhabitable when accelerated climate change destroyed the planet’s water sources.

Gliese 12 b’s atmosphere, if it has one, could explain why such changes happen – and predict what might happen to the Earth’s. And, if it does have an atmosphere, this would mean it can maintain its temperatures and allow the presence of liquid water.

The rare conditions of Gliese 12 b make it a good future candidate for the James Webb Space Telescope – and therefore, hopefully, answer some more questions.

• The 4 biggest questions about alien life, answered by an astrobiologist
• What does it mean if an exoplanet is 'habitable'?
• The Dark Universe: Why we're about to solve the biggest mystery in science

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