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Episode Guide
- 1. From Pole to Pole Mar 25, 2007
- A portrait of the planet from north to south.
- 2. Mountains Mar 25, 2007
- Rare animals inhabit the world's biggest mountain ranges.
- 3. Deep Ocean Mar 25, 2007
- Cameras scan the ocean's surface and troll its depths, revealing daytime hunters and night feeders.
Earth is rounded into an ellipsoid with a circumference of about 40,000 km. It is the densest planet in the Solar System. Of the four rocky planets, it is the largest and most massive. Earth is about eight light-minutes away from the Sun and orbits it, taking a year (about 365.25 days) to complete one revolution.
- Namesake. The name Earth is at least 1,000 years old. All of the planets, except for Earth, were named after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. However, the name Earth is a Germanic word, which simply means “the ground.”
- Potential for Life. Earth has a very hospitable temperature and mix of chemicals that have made life abundant here. Most notably, Earth is unique in that most of our planet is covered in liquid water, since the temperature allows liquid water to exist for extended periods of time.
- Size and Distance. With an equatorial diameter of 7926 miles (12,760 kilometers), Earth is the biggest of the terrestrial planets and the fifth largest planet in our solar system.
- Orbit and Rotation. As Earth orbits the Sun, it completes one rotation every 23.9 hours. It takes 365.25 days to complete one trip around the Sun. That extra quarter of a day presents a challenge to our calendar system, which counts one year as 365 days.
Watch the stunning footage of diverse animal life in different biomes on Earth, narrated by David Attenborough and Sigourney Weaver. Learn about the challenges of filming, the threats of global warming, and the beauty of nature in this award-winning TV mini series.
- (222K)
- 2007-03-25
- Documentary, Family
- 49
Nov 22, 2018 · Earth is the only planet known to maintain life. Find out the origins of our home planet and some of the key ingredients that help make this blue speck in sp...
- 4 min
- 6.1M
- National Geographic
3 days ago · Earth, 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 environments are the only places in the universe known to harbor life. Learn more about development and composition of Earth in this article.
Apr 30, 2024 · Learn about Earth, the planet we live on, its structure, features, and history. Explore maps, photos, and articles on Earth's interior, exterior, revolution, rotation, and more.