Earth Facts & Statistics (2026) — Size, Age, Water, Atmosphere, Orbit

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only world known to support life. It is the largest of the rocky (terrestrial) planets and the fifth-largest planet in our solar system. (NASA)

On this page:

• Earth fast facts
• Earth’s distance from the Sun and Moon
• Earth’s orbit and rotation
• Life on Earth (evidence and timeline basics)
• People on Earth (global population)
• Methodology
• FAQ
• Sources & references

Earth fast facts

• Planet type: Terrestrial (rocky) planet. (NASA)
• Equatorial circumference: 40,075.017 km (24,901.461 miles). (Reference overview)
• Equatorial diameter: 12,756 km (7,926 miles). (NASA)
• Atmosphere (dry air, by volume): ~78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon (plus trace gases). (NASA)
• Core composition (high level): Earth has a metallic core dominated by iron and nickel. (NASA Glenn)
• Major internal layers: Crust, mantle, outer core, inner core.
• Water coverage: About 71% of Earth’s surface is water-covered. (USGS)
• Planet ranking by size: Earth is the fifth-largest planet in the solar system. (NASA)

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Earth’s distance from the Sun and Moon

Mean Earth–Sun distance (1 AU): 149,598,262 km (mean orbit distance). (NASA)

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Earth–Sun distance range (approx.):

• Perihelion (closest): about 147.1 million km (about 91.4 million miles). (Space.com)
• Aphelion (farthest): about 152.1 million km (about 94.5 million miles). (EarthSky)

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Average distance from Earth to the Moon: 384,400 km (238,855 miles). (NASA)

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Earth’s orbit and rotation

Orbit (sidereal year): One full orbit takes 365.256 days. (Reference overview)

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Rotation (sidereal rotation period): About 23.93 hours (≈ 23 hours 56 minutes). (NASA (Earth lithograph PDF); NASA Glenn)

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Life on Earth (evidence and timeline basics)

Earliest life: The U.S. Geological Survey notes that the earliest life appeared on Earth more than 3.5 billion years ago. (USGS)

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People on Earth (global population)

World population: UN-based estimates place the global population at roughly 8.3 billion in 2026 (exact counts vary by methodology and date). (UN World Population Prospects; Worldometer (UN-based estimate display))

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The Earth’s size, age, atmosphere, orbit, and life history are all measurable—and continually refined—as science improves how we observe and model our planet.

Methodology

• Authority-first sourcing: Planetary dimensions and ranking use NASA; water coverage uses USGS; Earth’s age uses USGS; orbit/rotation use NASA references and standard astronomy definitions.
• No speculation: This page avoids forecasts and uses only sourced, widely accepted values.

FAQ

How old is the Earth?

USGS references an age of about 4.54 billion years for Earth and the solar system. (USGS)

What percent of Earth is covered by water?

About 71% of Earth’s surface is water-covered. (USGS)

How far is the Moon from Earth?

The Moon is an average of 384,400 km (238,855 miles) from Earth. (NASA)

Sources & references

• NASA — Facts About Earth (diameter, Moon distance, ranking)
• NASA — Atmosphere composition (dry air by volume)
• USGS — Water coverage (about 71%)
• USGS — Age of the Earth (about 4.54 billion years)
• USGS — Precambrian Time (earliest life > 3.5 billion years ago)
• NASA — Mean orbit distance (Earth–Sun and Earth–Moon)
• NASA — Earth lithograph (rotation period 23.93 hr)
• NASA Glenn — Earth overview (rotation and composition)
• Reference overview — Earth circumference
• Reference overview — Earth orbit length (sidereal year)
• Space.com — Perihelion distance
• EarthSky — Aphelion distance
• UN — World Population Prospects
• Worldometer — World population clock (UN-based estimate display)