What can we share about Earth? Maybe Carl Sagan said it best.

“From [a] distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it's different…That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives…. [E]very saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam…

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit? Yes. Settle?, Not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience... To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”

8 Things That Make Earth Special:

1.       Earth recycles the right amount of life-friendly carbon through her atmosphere.

2.       Earth has an ozone layer to block harmful rays.

3.       Earth has a freakishly big moon which stabilizes Earth’s wobble.

4.       We are at just the right distance from the sun to support life (the “Goldilocks Zone”).

5.       Our Sun is a stable, long-lasting star.

6.       Earth has the right material mix for a dynamic core, creating Earth’s protective magnetic field.

7.       Planets, like Jupiter, are near and protect us from most distastrous space-born impacts.

8.       Our galactic location is far from many hazards (deadly radiation and debris) in the Milky Way.

A Note on the Moon:

While you’re standing at the model, you might wonder how large the moon is and how far it obits from Earth. In relation to the Earth model, the Moon would be just less than a centimeter (less than 1/2 an inch) in diameter and orbit about a meter away (roughly 3 feet) from the Earth.