Fun Facts

1.Planet Earth

The Earth is a huge ball of rock moving through space at nearly 3000 meters per second.It weighs 6000 million,million,million tonnes.Up to two-thirds of the Earth's rocky surface is covered by water - this makes the seas and oceans.Rock that is not covered by water makes the land.Surrounding the Earth is a layer of gases called the atmosphere [air]. This reaches about 700 kilometers from the Earth's surface - then space begins.

2.Where did the Earth come from

The Earth came from a cloud in space.scientists think the Earth formed from a huge cloud of gas and dust around 4500 million years ago.A star near the cloud exploded,making the cloud spin.As the cloud spun around,gases gathered at its center and formed the Sun.Dust whizzed around the Sun and stuck together to form lumps of rock.In time the rocks crashed into each other to make planets.The Earth is one of these planets.

3.At first the Earth was very hot.As the rocks crashed together they warmed each other up.Later,as the Earth formed,the rocks inside it melted.The new Earth was a ball of liquid rock with a thin,solid shell.