Earth is the third
planet from the
Sun and the only
astronomical object known to harbor
life. It is the densest planet in the
Solar System and the largest and most massive of the four
rocky planets. About 29% of Earth's surface is
land, with the remaining 71%
covered with water and much of
Earth's polar regions covered in
ice. Earth's interior is active with a solid iron
inner core, a liquid
outer core that generates
Earth's magnetic field, and a convective
mantle that drives plate tectonics. Earth formed
over 4.5 billion years ago. Within the first billion years of
Earth's history,
life appeared in the oceans and began to affect
Earth's atmosphere and surface. Since then, the combination of Earth's distance from the Sun, physical properties and
geological history have allowed life to
evolve and thrive, including
more than 8 billion humans. Earth is orbited by one permanent natural satellite, the
Moon, which orbits Earth at 384,400 km (1.28 light seconds) and is roughly a quarter as wide as Earth. This view of Earth was taken by NASA's
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2015, from above the
Compton crater on the Moon.
Photograph credit: NASA