Page 16 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

LAYERED PLANET

Like the other planets of the solar system, Earth was
created from the cloud of rock, dust, and gas that
surrounded the newly formed Sun 4.6 billion years
ago. This material welded together into a spherical
mass of hot rock, which eventually melted
and formed layers with a heavy metallic
core. In time, planet Earth cooled and
solidified, forming a rocky crust capped
by oceans and an airy atmosphere.

CORE TO CRUST
Earth has a solid inner core of iron
and nickel, and a metallic but liquid
outer core. Surrounding the core is
the deep mantle of hot but solid
rock. The outermost rocky layer
is the cool, brittle crust.

Earth is also known as the
Blue Planet because of
the abundance of liquid
water on its surface.

Heat rising from the core
keeps the hot mantle rock
moving slowly, and fuels
volcanic eruptions.

MOON
The Moon is made of the same
rocks as Earth. It formed soon
after Earth itself, from a cloud of
rock and dust that surrounded
Earth following the impact of
one or more big asteroids.

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