Our Universe is filled with many stars, planets, galaxies, natural satellites, asteroids, meteorites, and many more other objects that are even not discovered yet. In Milky Way Galaxy, the Earth is the only planet that has a favorable living atmosphere for human beings.
The other planets that are present in the solar system have natural satellites that revolve around them. The days and nights are all different on other planets.
The weight, mass, gravity all differ with respect to the Earth.
Earth vs Moon
The difference between The Earth and Moon is that the Earth is one of the planets of the solar system that revolves around the sun while comparatively, on the other hand, the Moon is not a planet but the natural satellite of the Earth, and it revolves around the Earth.
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The Earth is the only planet in the solar system that has favorable conditions for the existence of life. The earth is covered with 30% of the landmasses, and the rest 70% is covered with the water that includes the oceans, sea, rivers, lakes, etc.
The polar region of the earth is covered with glaciers and ice caps of freshwater.
Moon is the natural satellite of the Earth. Moon is the largest natural satellite in the solar system, with the size in approximation one-quarter than that of the earth.
The gravity on the moon is one-sixth that of the earth. Thus the person weighing the same on earth will be one-sixth time lighter than on the moon.
There is no magnetic field on the moon, and scientists are finding favorable atmospheric conditions for living on the moon.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Earth | Moon |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Planet | Natural Satellite |
| Size | Bigger | Small |
| Radius | 6370 Km | 1740 Km |
| Composition | More heavy elements | Less heavy elements |
| Gravitational Acceleration | 9.8 metre per second square | 1.6 metre per second square |
| Escape Velocity | 11.9 Km per second | 2.4 Km per second |
| Magnetic Field | Present | Absent |
| Atmosphere | Present | Absent |
| Surface | Fast erosion of the surface, made due to the tectonic activity. | The erosion on the surface is slow and is geologically dead. |
| Oxygen and Water | Present | Absent |
What is Earth?
Earth is the only planet with favorable conditions of existence of life. The earth is covered with 30% of the landmasses, and 70% of the area is covered with water in the form of rivers, oceans, sea, lakes, etc.
These all the water bodies comprising the hydrosphere. The polar region of the earth is covered with ice caps and glaciers filled with freshwater.
The earth is divided into three parts – core, mantle, and crust. The solid iron core and the liquid inner core together create the magnetic field in the earth’s surface.
The earth’s atmosphere is majorly formed by nitrogen and oxygen gas. There are also several other names used to personify earth, and they are – Gaia, Terra, Tellus, Globe, and the World.
Earth rotates on its axis because of which the day and night are caused the which is also called rotation. When earth completes its one complete revolution around the sun, it causes changes in the season.
On the earth, one day is equal to the 12 hours of the day and 12 hours of the night.
What is Moon?
Moon is the only satellite of the earth and is naturally present, and among the solar system, it is the largest satellite known. The size of the moon is one-quarter than that of the earth, even though it is bigger than that of any dwarf planet known or discovered.
The gravitational pull of the moon is the major cause of the tides formed in the water bodies.
It is also known as lunar and is considered a planetary object and does not have any atmosphere, hydrosphere properties that supports the existence of life on it but still, the discoveries are going on for the same. Also, on the moon’s surface, there is no presence of a magnetic field, and the radius of the moon is about 1740 Km.
The one lunar day on the moon is equal to the 29 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes. This is the same period taken by the moon to complete the one revolution of the earth, and this cause one full moon night and one new moon night.
Main Differences Between The Earth and Moon
- The earth is the planet that revolves around the sun, while on the other hand, the moon is the natural satellite of the earth and revolves around it.
- The size of the planet earth is quite large compared to the size of the moon that is one-quarter the diameter of the earth.
- The radius of the earth is 6370 Km, while on the other hand, the radius of the moon is 1740 Km.
- The composition of the earth is made up of heavy elements, while comparatively, on the other hand, the composition of the moon is made up of lighter elements.
- The gravitational acceleration of the planet earth is about 9.8 meters per second square, while comparatively, on the other hand, the gravitational acceleration of the moon is less than that of the earth and is about 1.6 meters per second square.
- The velocity required to escape from the earth’s atmosphere is about 11.9 Km per second, while comparatively, on the other hand, the velocity requires to escape the moon surface is 2.4 Km per second.
- The magnetic field is present on the earth’s surface, while on the other hand, there is no presence of the magnetic field on the moon.
- The atmospheric condition is present on the earth, while on the moon, there is no presence of the atmosphere.
- The erosion of the earth’s surface erodes faster and is made with the various tectonic activity while on the other hand, there is very slow erosion on the surface of the moon, and the surface is geologically dead.
- The presence of oxygen and water on the earth’s surface is identifiable, while comparatively, on the other hand, on the surface of the moon, there is no presence of oxygen and water.
- https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/JB085iB05p02531
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012821X17302145
- http://caeno.org/pdf/Newton_Ptolemy%20Babylonian%20eclipses.pdf
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09500690119306
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
