Humans have been living on earth for millennia. On the other hand, what we know about this blue planet is like a drop in an ocean. I mean we still know very little about the only planet in this existence where life exists.
I beg your pardon but that’s not completely true. According to sacred Indian scriptures, there are places where life exists. I mean where gods live – don’t know whether humans also live there or not.
Duh, here I go again. Perhaps, I should stop wondering about these things. I mean I am a physics guy, I should rather believe in evidence rather than some mythological thoughts.
Coming back to the topic of this article – this gigantic blue shiny marble has still so many deep secrets to be unfolded. Stay sharp. Here we go for a ride….!!!!!
6 Interesting Facts About Earth
- Earth does have a name after Mythological God
- A Day on Earth is Getting Bigger and Bigger
- Earth’s Tilt – The Reason for Change in the Seasons
- Earth has more than one Moon
- 60 % of Earth’s Population lives on 30% of Earth’s Landmass
- Aristotle believed Earth is Flat
Earth does have a name after Mythological God
According to western culture, Earth is the only planet in our solar system that was not named after Roman Gods or Goddesses. But do you really think that this blue planet is a habitat to only western civilization? Now you got my point.
Earth does have some other civilizations for an instance Indian Civilization. Hinduism is the World’s oldest religion and their religious book “Veda” is by far regarded as the world’s oldest religious book.
Well, according to the sacred scriptures of Veda, Planet Earth is known as Prithvi – The Vast One. Prithvi is a Sanskrit name for Earth as well as the Goddess Prithvi or Bhumi meaning Land. She is a reincarnation of Goddess Lakshmi; consort of Vishnu – The Preserver (one of the trinity Gods).
A Day on Earth is Getting Bigger and Bigger
Ok, you heard me right. A day on earth is getting bigger and bigger with each passing day. As for the current timeline, it takes 24 hours to complete a day.
I hope you know that the rotation of the earth on its axis makes a day on Earth. Plus earth rotates counterclockwise on its axis. Man seriously, what kind of input I am sharing with you? I mean every planet in our solar system rotates counterclockwise.
Ahem, nope; there are two exceptions – Venus and Saturn. They rotate in a clockwise direction meaning – on Saturn and Venusian surfaces; the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Mind-blown.
I never know why every time I get derailed from the topic of discussion. As I was saying, days are getting bigger and bigger with each passing day. Well, it doesn’t even matter to us.
In other words, the process of a day on earth getting bigger or slowing of the earth’s rotation is almost negligible. The closest approximation is that it will take a century to increase the earth’s period of rotation by 1.7 milliseconds.
Meaning, in order to make a 24-hour day t0 25 hours a day, it would take 150 million years to do so. See, I told you it doesn’t even matter to us.
Jokes apart, the cause of this slowing of the rotation of the earth is not well understood yet. According to astronomers and renowned physicists, this is happening due to the tidal effects caused by the moon on earth rotation.
Earth’s Tilt – The Reason for Change in the Seasons
Have you ever given thought that what causes seasons on earth? or even ever wondered why we have seasons? If not, then here is your chance to think.
I am damn sure that you might guess that our planet’s changing distance from The Sun could be the reason for the change in the season. Well, I won’t say that it’s a totally wrong answer.
I would rather say that it is partially correct to some extent. The scientifically correct reason for the change in the season is Earth’s Tilt. The angle of axial tilt is approximately equal to 23.4 degrees.
Well, none of us knows the reason behind the Tilt of the earth or how it is as it is. There are some controversial suggestions though. Some astronomers suggest that during the early age of our solar system, the earth collided with some stellar object resulting in an axial tilt of 23.4 degrees.
Frankly speaking, I could go on and on talking about the tilt of the earth or its Obliquity. But, I don’t wanna go there. You can read this article where I have explained everything in detail.
Now we know that, just because of Earth’s Tilt, when there is summer in the northern hemisphere, at the same time there is winter in the southern hemisphere.
Recommended: Southern Hemisphere Seasons & its Bizarre Consequences
So I can conclude that right now I am in India (Northern hemisphere) bearing an extremely hot season and on the other hand, someone in Australia (southern hemisphere) is facing an extreme winter season. I wish I could right now go to the southern hemisphere just to avoid summers. I hate summers.
Earth has more than one Moon
Well, I won’t lie to you. Seriously Earth does have a single moon that’s why we call it a Moon. Otherwise, we would have named it like all the other moons in our solar system. But there is a catch.
Our planet earth has at least 4 stellar objects that linger around the earth. In the astronomical world, two of them are known as 3753 Cruithne and 2002 AA29.
In fact, both of them actually orbit around the sun but their orbital period is the same as the Earth’s around the sun. That’s why these so-called moons, ahh let’s not call them the moon, call them asteroids. That’s why these so-called asteroids are also known as co-orbital objects of earth.
Must read, Are We Really Going To Lose Our Only Moon?
The diameter of 3753 Cruithne is roughly about 5 kilometers. On the other hand, the diameter of the 2002 AA29 is about 20 to 100 meters (quite a small one).
Both of these so-called moons are classified in the group of Near Earth Objects. When viewed from earth, they appear to follow a horseshoe orbit around the sun.
Now, if I talk about the other two stellar objects, they are actually dust clouds that orbit around earth – known as Kordylewski Clouds or sometimes also called Earth’s Hidden Moons.
They are situated at the L4 and L5 points (Lagrange’s Points) of the Earth-Moon System. Just because these asteroids are locked with the earth’s orbital period of rotation.
Therefore, they will never collide or fall on earth. Well, I can’t say that for sure. I mean, I don’t know what will happen in the future. Do you?
60 % of Earth’s Population lives on 30% of Earth’s Landmass
Pheww…!!!! 60% of Earth’s population lives on 30% of Earth’s landmass. Really…!!! Any idea about which part of the earth’s landmass I am talking about? Its Asia.
I live in Asia, and for that reason, I know that it is drastically populated. Well, why not. I mean the world’s two most populous country is in Asia i.e China and India.
According to the official reports of the United Nations, out of the total world population i.e 7.8 billion, the population of India accounts for 1.3 billion i.e almost 17 % of the total world population.
Currently, India is the 2nd most populous country in the world, just lagging behind China. As per future estimation, by 2050 India’s population will surpass China and will become the world’s most populous country.
As far as Asia is considered, currently, we are home to more than 60 % of Earth’s population. Well, if I talk about technicality, the correct figure would be 62.9 % of the earth’s population, meaning out of the total world population i.e 7.8 billion, the population of Asia accounts for 4.6 billion i.e almost 63 % of the total world population.
In my view, there is no one to blame for that – I mean Asia is by far the largest continent having extremely diverse climates and geographic features. So I can wrap up by saying that Asia is best suited for human existence.
Aristotle believed Earth is Flat
Who doesn’t know about Aristotle? well, I mean if not by his greatest works in the field of science then at least by his poetry and philosophical quotes – that you can easily see getting viral on social networking sites.
Related, Top 6 Obsolete cosmological Models Of The Universe
He believed that Earth was Flat meaning the earth is the center of the universe. Frankly speaking, not just Aristotle – everyone believed in the earth-centered theory until the emergence of the Copernican revolution in 1543.
In Aristotelian Universe, the earth was the center of the universe, and all the planets, stars, and sun, I mean everything revolved around the earth.
This earth-centered theory went on for centuries, I mean from the dawn of human civilization on earth, everyone believed in the Aristotelian Universe.
But finally, this geocentric theory was debunked by the arrival of the sun-centered model of the solar system i.e sun is at the center of the solar system and all the other planets revolve around the sun, not earth.
Some other Interesting Facts about Earth
Apart from the above-mentioned one, I am also mentioning some of the few here.
- our ozone layer is depleting day by day
- 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, or only 3 % of the earth’s water is fresh
- The highest point on earth is Mount Everest.
- Gravity on Earth isn’t uniform, etc.
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