position of the earth in the solar system

Position of the Earth in the solar system

The Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest planet in the solar system in terms of size and mass. Its single most outstanding feature is that its near-surface environment is the only place in the entire universe known to harbour life. It is about 150 million km from the Sun. The Earth orbits around the Sun taking 365 days, 5 minutes, and 46 seconds. Also, it rotates on its axis in a counterclockwise motion which takes 24 hours to complete its rotation. This rotation makes the Sun seem to move across the sky. The Earth is the only planet which is known so far to support life.

The Earth supports life due to the presence of water. Water is found in three states: liquid, solid, and vapour, which is essential for living things. The Earth has an atmosphere which contains different gases such as oxygen, essential for life, carbon dioxide which is essential for photosynthesis in plants, hydrogen essential for plants, and ozone gas which absorbs ultraviolet rays which are the unwanted rays from the Sun. Also, the Earth has important nutrients found in the soil, air and water which are essential for living things. Moreover, the Earth has a magnetic field which originates from the core of the Earth which forms the magnetic north pole and magnetic south pole. The magnetic field acts as a repellant of harmful radiations from the Sun.

Furthermore, the Earth has a more suitable climate than other planets. It does not have extreme temperatures like those on Mercury where temperature goes to 400°C and Venus whose temperature is 480°C or Mars whose temperature goes to -140°C. In these planets life cannot be possible.

According to the origin of the universe, the solar system is found in one arm of the Milky Way galaxy in the universe. Our solar system is composed of a set of radically different types of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, meteorites, interplanetary dusts and gases. The planets are arranged from the gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune to the rocky inner planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

In the solar system, the Earth is an active place. In the planet Earth, earthquakes rip along plate boundaries, volcanoes eject fountains of molten lava, and mountain ranges and seabed are constantly created and destroyed.