Planet Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only known planet to support life. It formed about 4.6 billion years ago from material that gathered together during the early formation of the Solar System.

With a surface covered by oceans, continents, and a protective atmosphere, Earth has conditions that allow a great diversity of living organisms to exist. About 71% of its surface is covered by water, which plays a major role in regulating climate and supporting ecosystems.

Earth is constantly changing because of natural processes such as volcanic activity, earthquakes, erosion, and the movement of tectonic plates. Its atmosphere, made mostly of nitrogen and oxygen, protects living things from harmful radiation and helps maintain temperatures suitable for life.

Earth also has a magnetic field created by movements inside its outer core, which helps shield the planet from charged particles from the Sun. By studying Earth, scientists can better understand how planets develop and how unique environments capable of supporting life may form elsewhere in the universe.