Latest News About Earth
Mass extinctions on Earth can help us find alien life in the cosmos. Here's how
October 3, 2024
These events can either be a catastrophe or the best thing that has happened to our planet. Read more
Strange discovery finds Earth's crust 'dripping' into the planet's belly
September 28, 2024
It's called lithospheric dripping and geologists are still figuring out the different ways it manifests. Read more
Earth tides: Why our planet's crust has tides too
September 27, 2024
Did you know that our planet’s crust has tides too? Read more
Earth Is on the Brink of Breaching a Seventh of Nine ‘Planetary Boundaries’ That Support Life
September 26, 2024
A new “health check” for our planet sounds an alarm bell on rising ocean acidification Read more
The Sun Will Destroy the Earth One Day, Right? Maybe Not.
September 26, 2024
Astronomers spotted a potential Earth-size rocky world orbiting a white dwarf, suggesting a future in which our planet outlives its star. Read more
Earth's outer core may hold a hidden 'doughnut'
September 19, 2024
A newly discovered "doughnut" in Earth's core could influence the planet's magnetic field. Read more
Explaining dramatic planetwide changes after world's last 'Snowball Earth' event
September 19, 2024
A new study provides a new explanation for dramatic global environmental changes that led to their formation. Read more
The Earth Might Have Been a Ringed Planet Long Ago
September 18, 2024
Almost half a billion years ago, our planet may have had a temporary ring, too. Read more
NASA aircraft gathers 150 hours of data to better understand Earth
August 8, 2024
They collected data for understanding global ecosystems, natural hazards, and land surface changes Read more
Gargantuan waves in Earth's mantle may make continents rise
August 7, 2024
Dramatic cliffs and high plateaus are caused by the same wave triggered in Earth's middle layer Read more
Plate tectonics fired up at least 3 billion years ago, study of ancient rocks in Australia indicates
August 7, 2024
This intensifies the debate over the origins of plate tectonics Read more
‘Current’ events: NASA and USGS find a new way to measure river flows
August 5, 2024
They collaborated to see if a small piloted drone could help create detailed maps Read more
Scientists say sun's influence penetrates into deep Earth
July 23, 2024
Solar radiation varies with latitude, creating temperature gradients on the sea surface Read more
An ancient partnership: Co-evolution of Earth environments and microbial life
July 18, 2024
Microbes don't leave bones, shells or other large fossils behind like dinosaurs Read more
Melting ice is slowing Earth's spin, shifting its axis and even influencing its inner core, research shows
July 16, 2024
Climate change is altering the Earth to its literal core Read more
Earth's plate tectonics fired up hundreds of millions of years earlier than we thought, ancient crystals reveal
July 16, 2024
The new study suggests it started more than 4 billion years ago Read more
Sulfur was key to the first water on Earth
July 15, 2024
The find suggests all rocky planets get wet soon after birth, boosting the chances for life Read more
How Earth went from a sterile rock to a lush, living planet
June 25, 2024
From microbes to mammoths, life has transformed Earth into one big living system Read more
The mysterious, deep-dwelling microbes that sculpt our planet
June 24, 2024
We were deep within Earth’s crust, yet life was literally gushing from rock Read more
Earth's rotating inner core is starting to slow down — and it could alter the length of our days
June 19, 2024
Any potential change would be thousandths of a second Read more
PACE celebrates national ocean month with colorful views of the planet
June 7, 2024
The Ocean Color Instrument observes Earth in ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared light Read more
Earth’s quasi-moons, minimoons, and ghost moons
May 21, 2024
Earth hosts seven known quasi-moons, an unknown number of minimoons, and two ghost moons Read more
Did Earth's multicellular life depend on plate tectonics?
May 20, 2024
How did complex life emerge and evolve on the Earth and what does this mean for finding life beyond Earth? Read more
Earth’s subduction may have been triggered by the same event that formed the Moon
May 20, 2024
It might have been even more consequential to future life on our planet Read more
Fascinating Facts About Earth
- If the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be the size of a nickel.
- Earth completes an orbit of the Sun every 365.25 days; this is where the 366th day of the leap year comes from, and we add it to keep yearly calendars consistent with our orbit around the sun.
- Earth is the only planet not named after a god or goddess.
- Earth is different from the other rocky planets because 70 percent of its surface is covered in oceans. Although most of the Earth’s surface is covered in oceans, water only makes up 0.13% of the total volume of the planet. Hence, if Earth was the size of a basketball, all the water in the world would amount to two teaspoons.
- Earth's atmosphere protects us from incoming meteoroids, most of which break up in our atmosphere before they can strike the surface as meteorites.
- The first being to orbit the Earth was Laika the dog in 1957. A few years later, dogs Belka and Strelka became the first creatures to return from space alive.
- Earth is the densest planet with a density of 5.52 grams per cubic centimeter. The density of water is 1 gram per cubic centimeter.
Missions
Ice, Clouds, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) (2018)
Mission to measure the height of a changing Earth
Soil Moisture Active Passive (2014)
Mission to provide soil moisture and freeze/thaw measurements
ISS-RapidScat (2014)
Mission to measure near-surface ocean wind speed and direction
Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) (2014)
Mission to study atmospheric carbon dioxide
Landsat 8 (2013)
Mission to monitor, understand and manage resources
Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment (ATTREX) (2013)
Mission to study moisture and chemical composition of upper atmosphere
Van Allen Probes (2012)
Mission to study Van Allen Radiation Belts around Earth
Suomi NPP (2011)
Mission to acquire land, ocean and atmospheric measurements
Glory (2011)
Mission to understand climate system
DISCOVER-AQ (2011)
Mission to measure difference in air quality in upper atmosphere and near surface
Aquarius (2011)
Mission to measure sea surface salinity
IceBridge (2009)
Mission to produce three-dimensional view of Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets
NOAA-N Prime (2009)
Mission to improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events
ARCTAS (2008)
Mission to study effect of air pollution in the Arctic
CloudSat (2006)
Mission to study role of clouds and atmospheric aerosols in climate, weather and air quality regulation
Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) (2006)
Mission to study role of clouds and atmospheric aerosols in climate, weather and air quality regulation
SERVIR (2005)
Mission to provide monitoring, imaging and mapping data and geospatial information
NOAA-N (2005)
Mission to collect information about the atmosphere and environment
Aura (2004)
Mission to study chemistry and dynamics of the atmosphere
Ice, Clouds, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) (2003)
Mission to understand effect of atmosphere and climate change on polar masses
Aqua (2002)
Mission to collect a variety of global data sets from six observation instruments
Jason (2001)
Mission to continue study of ocean surface topography
Terra (1999)
Mission to collect observational data of Earth
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) (1997)
Mission to study rainfall for weather and climate research
Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) (1991)
Mission to study role of upper atmosphere in varying climate
Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (1983)
Network of specialized communications satellites to provide communication services to NASA spacecraft
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) (1975)
Mission to help meteorologists predict local weather events
Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite (POES) (1960)
Mission to provide operational climate data