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Many misconceptions roam around the world.
From the air we breathe to even impressive man-made creations like the Great Wall of China, many people have common beliefs that are far from the simple truth.
In this blog, join us to discover these mind-blowing facts about our home, the planet Earth!
5 Mind-Blowing Facts That Will Surprise You!
1. You can’t see the Great Wall of China from space.
What do people usually think?
Many people believe that the Great Wall of China is visible in space, perhaps even from the moon.
They also presume that this is the only man-made structure that is visible with the naked eye when you are on the Moon or in Earth’s orbit.
This is based on the wall’s colossal structure, such as its length of 21,196 kilometers (13,170 miles), average width of 6.5 meters (21 feet), and average height of 7.8 meters (25.6 feet).
However, did you know it is impossible to spot the Great Wall of China in outer space?
Here is the astonishing reality:
While it’s true that the Great Wall of China has immense dimensions, its length, height, and width are not enough to give visibility when you are in outer space, especially on the Moon.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), they confirmed that the Great Wall of China is enormous. However, there is still no possibility that it will be visible from space.
Additionally, it is not easy to spot it from Earth’s orbit without using high-end lenses.
Therefore, even in its gigantic size, the Great Wall of China is still no place to show off in outer space!
2. Earth has way more trees than the stars in our galaxy.
What do people usually think?
People think that there are more stars than trees on Earth.
We often imagine that the Earth we are living on is just like a single dot in our Milky Way.
Because of this, we conclude that there are more stars in our galaxy than trees on Earth.
It might interest you to know that there are more trees than stars!
Here is the astonishing reality:
Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has approximately 100 to 400 billion stars.
This sounds like a myriad number!
However, Dr. Thomas Crowther from Yale University confirmed in his study that our Earth has approximately 3.04 trillion trees, which is more than the stars in our galaxy.
Hence, although our galaxy is enormous, our trees on Earth can outnumber its stars!
3. Most of Earth’s oxygen comes from the ocean.
What do people usually think?
When discussing oxygen, we often think of our green forests and jungles as being responsible for breathing out fresh air.
But what if I told you that the large amount of oxygen we breathe in comes from the ocean?
Here is the astonishing reality:
While it’s true that the green part of our Earth plays a vital role in oxygen production, scientists believe that 50% to 80% of all the oxygen our Earth has comes from the ocean!
Our ocean consists of tiny living creatures called phytoplankton. They are microscopic plants.
These microscopic plants are like trees, which use sunlight to generate their food.
Additionally, they capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen.
This oxygen that they release is the fresh air that we breathe!
Doesn’t it sound awesome that these microscopic plants, phytoplankton, are the greatest oxygen producers on Earth and serve as the lungs of our planet?
4. Earth’s deepest point is deeper than Mount Everest is tall.
What do people usually think?
Since Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, people assume that no part of Earth could be even deeper than its height.
You won’t believe this, but the vertical extent of the deepest point on Earth is greater than the height of Everest!
Here is the astonishing reality:
The height of the tallest mountain, Mount Everest, is 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 meters).
This is incredibly high!
However, the Challenger Deep is the deepest point on Earth. Located in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, this spot has a depth of 35,876 feet (10,935 meters) below sea level.
Hence, if we are going to compute the sheer vertical distance (magnitude) of both from sea level, the Challenger Deep is numerically greater than the height of Mount Everest!
What an extraordinary fact!
5. Gravity isn’t the same everywhere on Earth.
What do people usually think?
People usually imagine that gravity is a constant force and assume that the weight of an object will stay the same no matter where you are.
You might be surprised to learn that our weight changes depending on the location on Earth!
Here is the astonishing reality:
The Earth is an oblate spheroid, and its gravitational strength changes with distance.
Because our planet is not a sphere, all locations directly on the equator will experience a minimal weight difference compared to those in the North and South poles.
Therefore, if your distance from the gravitational center of the Earth is greater, then the pull of gravity is weaker, and as a result, there is a slight weight change.
Indeed, the weight of an object is not constant and depends on your location.
So, our overall weight changes depending on our location on the planet!
What an incredibly mind-blowing fact!
Mind-Blowing Facts About the Earth Wrap-up
The Earth is full of wonders that constantly challenge what we think we know.
From invisible walls to oceans that breathe for us, our planet proves time and again that truth is stranger than fiction.
These mind-blowing facts remind us that Earth is not just our home—it’s a mystery still waiting to be unraveled.
Did you enjoy learning these surprising truths about our planet?
If you’d love more fascinating facts like this, drop a comment below and let us know what you want to discover next!
