Hobbies And Interests
History
For centuries it was thought that the Earth was the center of the solar system and that the Sun and planets revolved around it. As astronomers began to figure out that Earth orbited the Sun the idea of a solar system took shape. However, without the aid of optical instruments like the telescope there were only six members of the solar system visible to the naked eye. Uranus was discovered in 1781, Neptune in 1846, and dwarf planet Pluto in 1930. This meant that Earth was the third of nine planets rather than the third of six.
Types
Earth is classified as an inner planet, along with Mercury, Venus and Mars. They all have a rocky core with few if any moons. These planets are also classified by astronomers as terrestrial planets. The planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are called Jovian planets or gas giants, being composed of a mixture of frozen gases and ice with a suspected smaller dense core. These worlds have many moons with more being discovered each decade. Pluto has since been classified as a dwarf planet, circling the fringes of the solar system with other objects similar in size and nature.
Size
If one wishes to count Pluto as a planet still then Earth is the fifth largest planet in the solar system out of nine in terms of diameter at the equator. Jupiter is by far the largest, followed by Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and then Earth. Mars and Venus are almost as big as the Earth is while Mercury and Pluto are easily the smallest of the planets. However, the Sun accounts for more than 99% of the matter in the entire solar system, making all of the planets tiny in comparison.
Effects
Its distance from the Sun has a great effect on each planet. Mercury and Venus being much closer than Earth's position are incredibly hot worlds. Mars is most like Earth but the distance it is from the Sun makes it impossible to sustain life. The outer planets are bitterly cold worlds that even if they did not have atmospheres of poisonous gases would be far too frigid to support life. Earth's average distance of 93 million miles from the Sun makes it the only planet in the solar system capable of sustaining a thriving population of living organisms.
Geography
Earth has mountains and deep ocean trenches but other planets dwarf the highest and lowest physical features of Earth. Mars has mountains much taller than Mount Everest, Earth's highest point and also has deep chasms miles upon miles deep. Earth's top wind speed has been clocked at 231 miles per hour, but the average wind speed on Neptune is 700 miles per hour, with some winds up to 1,200 miles per hour. The hottest recorded temperatures on Earth are in the 130 degree range; Mercury's surface can get up to 800 degrees.