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Earth


The Earth
Approx. Age: 4.6 Billion Years
Average Distance From Sun: 150 Million KM (1 AU)
Diameter: 12,765 KM
Circumference: 40,070 KM
Volume: 10�� KM�
Mass: 5.977 X 10-24 KG
Gravity: 9.78 M/sec�
Atmosphere: Nitrogen 78.09%; Oxygen 20.95%; Argon 0.93%; Carbon Dioxide 0.03%
Moons: 1, The Moon
Earth Year: 365 days 5hrs 48mins 46secs
Earth Day: 23hrs 56min 4.1secs
Orbit Speed: 30 KM/S
Population: Approaching 6 Billion
Land Coverage: 150 Million Sq KM
Water Coverage: 361 Million Sq KM

The third planet from the Sun.
70% of the Earth's surface (including the north and south polar icecaps) is covered with water.

The Earth is surrounded by a life-supporting atmosphere and is the only planet on which life is known to exist. This atmosphere also acts as a barrier, keeping out harmful radiation from the Sun. This layer is however, being destroyed by toxic emissions from industrial manufacture and energy production

The Earth is almost spherical, flattened slightly at the poles, and is composed of three concentric layers: the core, the mantle, and the crust. The crust and the topmost layer of the mantle form about 12 major moving plates, some of which carry the continents. The plates are in constant motion, called tectonic drift. When these plates rub together they cause EarthQuakes.

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