And it is He who has made you generations coming after generations replacing each other on the earth. An He has raised you in ranks, some above others that He may try you in that which He has bestowed on you. Surely, your Lord is Swift in tribulations, and certainly He is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful
(Al-Qur'an 7:165)
Earth, our home planet, is the only planet in our solar system known to harbor life - life that is incredibly diverse. All of the things we need to survive are provided under a thin layer of atmosphere that separates us from the uninhabitable void of space. Earth is made up of complex, interactive systems that are often unpredictable. Air, water, land, and life - including humans - combine forces to create a constantly changing world that we are striving to understand.
Viewing Earth from the unique perspective of space provides the opportunity to see Earth as a whole. Scientists around the world have discovered many things about our planet by working together and sharing their findings.
Some facts are well known. For instance, Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest in the solar system. Earth's diameter is just a few hundred kilometers larger than that of Venus. The four seasons are a result of Earth's axis of rotation being tilted more than 23 degrees.
Distance from the Sun: 149,597,890 km
Equatorial Radius: 6,378.14 km
Volume: 1,083,200,000,000 km
Mass: 5,973,700,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg
