Do you really know everything about the planet you live on? If not, it's time you did. April 22nd is celebrated as Earth day and there's still so much we don't know about our world. Helping us understand the mysteries surrounding Earth can help protect it from dangers like climate control and resource utilization. To celebrate Earth day, here are ten facts about the planet from Live Science and Fact Retriever that might just blow your mind.
1. Earth is the only planet in our solar system which is not named after Greek or Roman deities. The name is derived from Old English and Old High Germanic words 'eorthe' and 'erda', meaning ground and soil.
2. If you ever thought Earth was large, the sun is so much larger. It is so big that one million Earths can fit inside it.
3. Based on research calculations by estimating rocks and meteorites on the planet, the age of Earth is approximately 4.54 billion years old. And you thought you were old.
4. The hottest spot on Earth is El Azizia, Libya. According to NASA Earth Observatory, it hit 57.8 degrees Celsius on 13th September, 1922.
5. The coldest spot on Earth is Vostok Station, Russia. According to USGS, the temperature reached -89.2 degrees Celsius on 21st July, 1983.
6. The Amazon Rainforest in South America is the largest tropical rainforest in the world at approximately 5.5 million square kilometers in area and houses one third of the planet's land species.
7.The largest flower on earth is the corpse flower from Sumatra, Indonesia which, as its name suggests, has the scent of rotting flesh.
8. The world's longest range of mountains is under the sea. The mid-ocean ridge is a part of every ocean and spans across approximately 65,000 kilometers.
9. According to WWF, the planet has lost about 40 percent of its wildlife in the past 40 years.
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10. The driest place on earth is the Atacama Desert in Chile which has parts in which rain has never been recorded. Here's to protecting the planet we live in for future generations to come.
