Editing Earth
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
| Latest revision | Your text | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[Category:Astronomy]] | [[Category:Astronomy]] | ||
== Explanation == | == Explanation == | ||
| − | [[File:Blue_Marble.jpg|thumb|right|300px|View of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew | + | [[File:Blue_Marble.jpg|thumb|right|300px|View of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew traveling toward the Moon.]] |
| − | Earth is the third [[planet]] from the [[Sun]], which is where [[life]] as we know it thrives upon in this [[solar system]]. 4.5 billion years ago, Earth formed out of the | + | Earth is the third [[planet]] from the [[Sun]], which is where [[life]] as we know it thrives upon in this [[solar system]]. 4.5 billion years ago, Earth formed out of the gasses and clouds of dust from the [[accretion disc]] of the solar [[nebula]] that created the solar system and the rest of the planets in it. Earth has a natural [[satellite]], called as the [[Moon]]. |
== Frequently Asked Questions == | == Frequently Asked Questions == | ||
=== Why does the Earth spin? === | === Why does the Earth spin? === | ||
| − | The Earth spins due to its [[inertia]]. Roughly, 4.5 billion years ago, when the [[hydrogen]] atoms in the solar nebula slowly collapsed down on its own [[gravity]], a denser region formed at the | + | The Earth spins due to its [[inertia]]. Roughly, 4.5 billion years ago, when the [[hydrogen]] atoms in the solar nebula slowly collapsed down on its own [[gravity]], a denser region formed at the center of the cloud. As the distribution of the mass collapsed towards the center, the spin of the entire cloud increased to conserve the angular momentum by nature. As it began to spin faster, it created the accretion disk where the protoplanets would form later. The hydrogen atoms and the particles in the disk inherited this spin too. Earth, being formed in the same way from the particles, it inherited its own average spin out of them. And by the law of inertia, Earth will continue to spin undisturbed until some unbalanced forces or any impacts would change its current state of motion. |
=== How did the Earth form? === | === How did the Earth form? === | ||
| − | |||
=== How seasons on Earth work? === | === How seasons on Earth work? === | ||
The seasons on Earth occur due to the current 23.5° axial tilt of the planet. As the Earth revolves around the Sun with its tilted axis, the amount of sunlight that reaches the northern and southern hemisphere varies over time. During the first half of the orbit during May, June, and July, the northern hemisphere will be tilted away from the sunlight. As the axial tilt remains fixed, the other half of the orbit during November, December, and January will be in a way that the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sunlight. In between this, at vernal and autumnal equinoxes both the hemispheres will be facing the sun equally, forming spring and autumn respectively. | The seasons on Earth occur due to the current 23.5° axial tilt of the planet. As the Earth revolves around the Sun with its tilted axis, the amount of sunlight that reaches the northern and southern hemisphere varies over time. During the first half of the orbit during May, June, and July, the northern hemisphere will be tilted away from the sunlight. As the axial tilt remains fixed, the other half of the orbit during November, December, and January will be in a way that the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sunlight. In between this, at vernal and autumnal equinoxes both the hemispheres will be facing the sun equally, forming spring and autumn respectively. | ||