Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and like all the planets, orbits the Sun. It’s 12 756 km in diameter, an is 150 million km from the Sun. Also, Earth spins on its axis. Earth is unique because it is the only planet with the right conditions for life.

Planets closer to the Sun are too hot for living things. Those further away from the Sun are too cold. Some planets have an atmosphere too poisonous to breathe or no atmosphere at all. Some, like Saturn and Jupiter, have no surface to walk on. Earth is the only planet with the right conditions for life.

Earth is a rocky planet, like Mercury, Venus and Mars, but is much more active. Heat from deep down inside our planet forces volcanoes to erupt, earthquakes to shake the surface, and continents to slowly shift their position over time. Meanwhile, wind, ocean waves and rain gradually reshape the landscape.