Earth
Earth, our home planet, is a beautiful blue and white ball when seen from space. The third planet from the Sun, it is the largest of the inner planets. Earth is the only planet known to support life and to have liquid water at the surface. Earth has a substantial atmosphere and magnetic field, both of which are critical for sustaining life on Earth. Earth is the innermost planet in the solar system with a natural satellite – our Moon. Explore our beautiful home planet – unique in our solar system - through the links in this section.
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Explore Earth
Earth's Interior and Surface
Earth, the largest and densest rocky planet, was formed about 4.5 billion years ago. The Earth's ...Read more
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and other gases (1%) that surrounds ...Read more
Magnetosphere
The Earth has a magnetic field with north and south poles. The magnetic field of the Earth ...Read more
Moon
The Earth's one natural satellite, the Moon, is more than one quarter the size of Earth itself ...Read more
Earth's Polar Regions
Do you wonder what Earth's Polar Regions are like? Where do polar bears live? Where do penguins ...Read more
Climate and Global Change
Warm near the equator and cold at the poles, our planet is able to support a variety of living ...Read more
Water (The Hydrosphere)
Water is found in many places on Earth including on the surface of the planet, within rocks ...Read more
Life and Ecology (The Biosphere)
What is life? Why is there life on Earth, but not on any other planets in the solar system ...Read more
Myth and Culture
In cultures around the world, humans have developed stories to help them understand how the ...Read more
Research Expeditions
When scientists go out to explore the Earth they often wind up in pretty interesting places ...Read moreDid you know?
Did you know that many different cultures had myths about Earth goddesses and gods?Did you know that it can get as cold as -70 degrees Celsius in the Arctic tundra during the winter?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?Aa
xAa : Hawaiian name for a type of lava flow with a surface that is broken into rough angular fragments which develop during cooling and loss of gas from pahoehoe flows.
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
Mysterious Clouds Produced When Aircraft Inadvertently Cause Rain or Snow
As turboprop and jet aircraft climb or descend under certain atmospheric conditions, they can inadvertently "seed" mid-level clouds, causing narrow bands of snow or rain to develop and fall to...Read more
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Science Blogs
Perspectives on Earth and Space Science Education
Real Climate: climate science from climate scientists
Star Stuff: science news from an astronomer's perspective
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