Earth

Earth, our home planet, is the 3rd planet from the sun.

Related Topics: Mars, The Moon, Venus, We Don't Planet, Neptune 

Latest Updates

Dec21b-2022 at Local Noon - Northern Winter Solstice

Winter solstice 2022 brings the longest night of the year to Northern Hemisphere

By Stefanie Waldek published

The winter solstice is today (Dec. 21), marking the official start of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day of the year.

A giant coronal mass ejection bursts from the sun toward Venus on Sept. 5, 2022.

Shock wave from sun has opened up a crack in Earth's magnetic field, and it could trigger a geomagnetic storm

By Ben Turner published

A mysterious shock wave in a gust of solar wind has sent a barrage of high-speed material smashing into Earth's magnetic field, opening up a crack in the magnetosphere.

The cracked surface of a dry lake bed

Megadrought on Earth affected gravity waves at the edge of space

By Elizabeth Rayne published

An intense drought that has persisted on Earth for over two decades is now thought to have affected gravity wave activity where our planet's atmosphere meets outer space

A view of the sun rising on Mount Tlaloc in Mexico on Feb. 24, which marked the new year.

Ancient Mexico's solar calendar in the mountains identified

By Robert Lea published

Ancient Mexicans closely watching the sun from only a single location accurately tracked the seasons and operated a farming calendar that fed millions.

A Triceratops prorsus munches on plants while two small mammals sit in the underbrush. Nearby, a softshell turtle climbs up on a log, unaware that its ecosystem will shelter it from the impending doom of a major asteroid impact.

Mammals were already poised to take over the world before the dino-killing asteroid struck

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Ancient mammals were better adapted than nonavian dinosaurs to survive the Chicxulub asteroid impact.

An artist's representation of GeoCarb studying carbon gases above the Earth.

NASA cancels climate change satellite to monitor greenhouse gases

By Stefanie Waldek published

NASA has canceled the GeoCarb mission, which was a greenhouse gas–monitoring satellite into geostationary orbit.

This photograph was taken using a drone) An aerial view of Education City stadium at sunrise on June 22, 2022 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Education City stadium.

See the 2022 FIFA World Cup from space in this dazzling satellite image

By Jeff Spry published

The UAE's Khalifasat satellite caught a dizzying orbital shot of Education City Stadium in Qatar on Dec. 6, as Morocco stunned Spain in the 2022 World Cup.

A long-exposure photo of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching the Hotbird 13F satellite for Eutelsat on Oct. 15, 2022.

Update: Watch SpaceX launch NASA's SWOT water-monitoring satellite

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX will launch a powerful NASA water-watching satellite early Friday morning (Dec. 16), and you can watch the action live.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite into orbit from Vandeberg Space Force Base in California on Dec. 16, 2022 on a mission to study Earth's surface water like never before.

SpaceX launches NASA satellite to study world's water, sticks rocket landing

By Josh Dinner published

A SpaceX rocket launched NASA's SWOT, the first satellite specifically designed to conduct a global survey of Earth's surface water.

An artist's depiction of one of the eight satellites that make up NASA's hurricane-monitoring CYGNSS mission.

NASA has lost contact with hurricane-watching CYGNSS satellite

By Robert Lea published

NASA last heard from one of the eight satellites that comprise the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) in November.

Artist's illustration of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite in Earth orbit.

SpaceX rocket issue delays launch of NASA SWOT water-watching satellite to Dec. 16

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX has delayed the launch of a NASA water-monitoring satellite by 24 hours to Dec. 16 to allow more time to investigate an issue with its Falcon 9 rocket.

Europe's fleet of new weather forecasting satellite, Meteosat Third Generation, in an artist's depiction.

Europe's new weather satellite will be a boost in climate change battle

By Tereza Pultarova published

Europe has launched a new high-tech weather satellite that will help meteorologists keep tabs on extreme weather events amid progressing climate change.

Artist's illustration of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite in Earth orbit.

NASA's new SWOT satellite to study Earth's water from space in a 'game changer' for understanding climate change

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA and the French space agency's latest satellite mission will look at how climate change is affecting water on Earth, to help communities around the world.

On the 20th day of the Artemis I mission, Orion captured the Earth rising behind the moon following the return powered flyby.

Looking back from beyond the moon: How views from space have changed the way we see Earth

By Alice Gorman published

How does a stunning photo from Artemis 1 compare to other iconic views of Earth from the outside?

Artist illustration of Orion skipping off the atmosphere.

Here's how NASA's Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft will splash down to end its moon mission in 8 not-so-easy steps

By Elizabeth Howell published

The Artemis 1 mission will end nearly a month in space with a series of wild landing steps, from skipping off of Earth's atmosphere to splashing down in the ocean.

Climate activists protest in front of International Convention Center at the UN climate summit COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Nov. 19.

Climate summit agrees to 'historic' loss-and-damage fund — but misses warming goals

By Michael Dhar published

New fund would aid responses to floods, fires and storms. But a failure to address warming and greenhouse gas emissions undercuts the funding success, critics say.

satellite in orbit with aurora in behind

NASA loses contact with ICON atmosphere-studying satellite in Earth orbit

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA's ICON atmosphere-studying satellite, well into an extended mission in space, fell silent on Nov. 25. Troubleshooting is ongoing, but the spacecraft has not responded to calls from home.

A dust devil on Mars seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2012.

With eyes on Mars, NASA algorithm tackles dust devils on Earth

By Stefanie Waldek published

On Mars, dust devils can have both positive and negative impacts on robotic exploration on the planet.

The Blue Marble photo, captured by the crew of Apollo 17 on Dec. 7, 1972.

The 1st photograph of all Earth: 50 years on, Blue Marble still inspires

By Chari Larsson published

The astronauts of NASA's Apollo 17 spacecraft, the last crewed mission to the moon, took a photograph of Earth and changed the way we visualized our planet forever.

three bright streaks in sky above rocky black surface with patches of red lava

Gamma-rays may have helped meteorites seed Earth with the building blocks of life

By Robert Lea published

New research solves the puzzle of how amino acids formed within space rocks that bombarded Earth during the violent early epoch of the solar system.