Earth: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:34, 13 October 2005

Revision as of 20:46, 13 October 2005

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{{Planet Infobox/Earth}}

'''Earth''', also known as '''the Earth''', '''[[Terra (mythology)|Terra]]''', and (mostly in the [[19th century]]) '''[[Tellus]]''', is the third-closest [[planet]] to the [[Sun]]. It is the largest of the [[solar system]]'s [[terrestrial planet]]s, and the only planetary body that [[modern science]] confirms as harboring [[life]]. The planet [[Age of the Earth|formed]] around 4.57 [[billion]] (4.57{{e|9}}) [[year]]s ago, and shortly thereafter (4.533 [[billion]] years ago) acquired its single [[natural satellite]], the [[Moon]].

Its [[astronomical symbol]] consists of a circled cross, representing a [[meridian]] and the [[equator]]; a variant puts the cross atop the circle ([[Unicode]]: ⊕ or ♁). Besides words derived from ''Terra'', such as ''terrestrial'', terms that refer to the Earth include ''tellur-'' ([[telluric]], [[tellurian]], from the [[Roman]] [[goddess]] ''Tellūs'') and ''geo-'' ([[geocentric]], [[geothermal]]; from the [[Greek]] [[goddess]] [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]]).