Difference between revisions of "Earth"
(A start at a real article. Preserve and explain the joke in a trivia section. Present some simple math for students. Present the mainstream estimate of the Earth's age, qualifying it.) |
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| − | Mostly harmless. | + | '''Earth''' is the name for the planet on which humankind lives. It is the third planet from the Sun. |
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| + | It orbits at an average distance of about 93,000,000 miles in an almost circular orbit. It takes light (and other forms of electromagnetic radiation) approximately 500 seconds to travel from the Sun to the Earth, i.e. the distance can also be stated as "500 light-seconds." The distance to nearby stars is made by measuring the stellar [[parallax]] between observations when the earth is at opposite ends of its orbit, so the earth's orbit itself is a measuring stick for astronomical distances, and is known as the ''astronomical unit'' (A. U.) | ||
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| + | The Earth is approximately 8000 miles in diameter, so its circumference is approximately 8000·π = about 25,000 miles. Its surface area is approximately 4·π(4000 mi)<sup>2</sup> = 200,000,000 square miles. | ||
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| + | Estimates by non-creationist geologists of the age of the Earth have varied over the years; currently, mainstream scientists believe the age of the Earth to be about 4.5 billion years. | ||
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| + | Bible scholars have also estimated the age of the earth based on the Creation account in Genesis and the genealogical accounts in Numbers and other books of the Pentateuch. One famous estimate was published in 1650 by R. B. Knox, James Ussher Archbishop of Armagh (usually referred to as Archbishop Ussher) in a book called ''Annals of the World,'' in which he estimated the Creation to have occurred in 4004 B.C. | ||
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| + | ==Trivia== | ||
| + | In Douglas Adams' series of novels, ''The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,'' he discovers that in the guide, the entire entry for Earth is simply: | ||
| + | :Harmless. | ||
| + | He is assured that the next edition will contain a much expanded article, but eventually discovered that the improved article reads in its entirety: | ||
| + | :Mostly harmless. | ||
Revision as of 23:58, February 28, 2007
Earth is the name for the planet on which humankind lives. It is the third planet from the Sun.
It orbits at an average distance of about 93,000,000 miles in an almost circular orbit. It takes light (and other forms of electromagnetic radiation) approximately 500 seconds to travel from the Sun to the Earth, i.e. the distance can also be stated as "500 light-seconds." The distance to nearby stars is made by measuring the stellar parallax between observations when the earth is at opposite ends of its orbit, so the earth's orbit itself is a measuring stick for astronomical distances, and is known as the astronomical unit (A. U.)
The Earth is approximately 8000 miles in diameter, so its circumference is approximately 8000·π = about 25,000 miles. Its surface area is approximately 4·π(4000 mi)2 = 200,000,000 square miles.
Estimates by non-creationist geologists of the age of the Earth have varied over the years; currently, mainstream scientists believe the age of the Earth to be about 4.5 billion years.
Bible scholars have also estimated the age of the earth based on the Creation account in Genesis and the genealogical accounts in Numbers and other books of the Pentateuch. One famous estimate was published in 1650 by R. B. Knox, James Ussher Archbishop of Armagh (usually referred to as Archbishop Ussher) in a book called Annals of the World, in which he estimated the Creation to have occurred in 4004 B.C.
Trivia
In Douglas Adams' series of novels, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, he discovers that in the guide, the entire entry for Earth is simply:
- Harmless.
He is assured that the next edition will contain a much expanded article, but eventually discovered that the improved article reads in its entirety:
- Mostly harmless.