How is Earth Different From Other Planets?

How is Earth different from other planets?

The famous cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin once said that he realized how beautiful the Earth is when he was orbiting the Earth in his spaceship. He emphasized the need to preserve the Earth and its beauty as it is the only life-supporting body. Somebody has well said that to know the value of a home; you need to step out of it.

There is no doubt in it that we are living in a world full of science and discoveries. Scientists and researchers are leaving no stone unturned in search of something new and exotic. Similarly, in the field of space and astronomy, experts are spending their whole night and day to unfold beautiful secrets that our universe has.

Our universe is vast and beautiful, and this blue planet earth is like a jewel in the crown. The Earth is the third planet from the sun and the largest planet among the first four Rocky and terrestrial planets. It is called a blue planet due to the presence of two-third of water. There are various features that make the life of flora and fauna possible on Earth, and this way, the Earth is distinguished from other planets of the whole universe.

Some facts about our mother earth:

• The Earth is the only heavenly body where life is found.
• The radius of the Earth is nearly 6,380 kilometers.
• It has only one satellite i.e. the moon that orbits around it.
• Earth takes one day i.e. 24 hours, for one complete rotation (it is spinning of Earth around its axis); likewise, it takes 365 days and 6 hours to complete one revolution.
• Rotation is responsible for causing day and night; on the other hand, we witness different seasons on Earth because of revolution.

As mentioned, many factors make our Earth different from other planets. None of the celestial bodies has all these features altogether, apart from the Earth. We can see that even when mars is called the twin of Earth, there is no evidence of life on it up till now.

So, let us check some facts and dive into some more details to know how the Earth is different from other planets?

Reasons Why Earth is Different From Other Planets:

The Atmosphere and Presence of Oxygen

The Earth is the only planet in the whole universe discovered so far where we can breathe in. Almost every creature requires oxygen for respiration. Oxygen is present in the atmosphere of the Earth in gaseous form and liquid water as well.

The presence of oxygen is regulated continuously by plants and animals. Humans need oxygen to inhale and then exhale carbon; on the other hand, plants need carbon dioxide to perform the process of photosynthesis (to make food) and release oxygen.

Carbon dioxide is a toxic gas, which is one of the main reasons that there is no life on Venus and Mars, as the amount of CO2 is very high in these planets atmosphere. This presence of CO2 is a blessing for the Earth, making life possible on Earth, however not for other planets.

The Suitable Climate

The distance at which Earth is located from the sun in itself is a significant factor that makes Earth different from any other planet. If you look at Mercury and Venus, you will see that they are very close to the sun, which results in the impossibility of life on them. Water and a suitable climate are hardly available. These are too hot planets for any life to exist.

Also, the ozone layer (formed by ozone gas) in the atmosphere of the Earth protects us from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. These UV rays are highly dangerous for humans and other living beings.

Water:  The Most Essential Liquid

Water is present on the Earth in all the three forms of matter: Solid, liquid, and gaseous states. It is very much acknowledged that any living being could not live without this liquid compound, i.e., water. Water is a unique compound of oxygen and hydrogen. The presence of water in liquid form gives us another answer to how the Earth is different from other planets?

Scientists believe that other natural satellites like Europa (Jupiter’s natural satellite) and the moon have water present on their surface. However, we need some more advanced technology to discover. They believe that all the discoveries in astronomy are just the tip of the iceberg that we have seen so far. We need to find out much more about the settlement of life on any other celestial body. So, we have miles ahead to go.

Light and Heat

God has given us eyes to see this beautiful world around us, but can you imagine a world without lights. Well, it is difficult even to imagine such a cold and dark world. Not only humans need warmth and heat but also plants and animals.

It is a well-known fact that the sun is the only source of heat and light. Plants need air, water, and sunlight to make their food by the process of photosynthesis. You must have studied in your textbooks, and maybe even performed that experiment where it is shown that plants in sunlight grow comparatively at higher rates than plants kept in the dark.

Well, the presence of heat and light must seem necessary to you for the existence of life. But it is well said that “excess of anything is bad” The excessive presence of sunlight on the first two planets i.e., Mercury and Venus, make it impossible for any life to exist on them.

Rotation and Revolution

All the heavenly bodies rotate around the sun. So does the Earth. Rotation is the Earth’s spinning around its axis, while revolution is the one complete movement of the Earth around the sun on its orbit.

Rotation causes day and night; on the other hand, it is due to revolution, we witness different seasons in a year.

The time taken by Earth for rotation is ideal, as, in 24 hours, the whole planet receives sunlight more or less. But some planet takes more time. The “morning star” Venus takes the longest time of 243 days to complete one rotation. Imagine getting sunlight after so long.

Conclusion

The Earth is as precious as every life on Earth is! Somebody has said that we have borrowed Earth from our upcoming generation. We owe Earth to the forthcoming generation because life is found here only. Our mother earth is unique and stands out among all other planets because it supports intelligent lives i.e. humans.

Humans can make this Earth a better and beautiful planet to live upon. But if they do not value it and keep exploiting the resources and damaging the environment, we may lose it. So, we should not risk our lives and the lives of those who are yet to see this beautiful world.