Why don't we get eclipses from other planets between the Earth and our Sun?

 We do, actually!

We even have eclipses from other planets between the Earth and the OTHER STARS!

Only they are known by a different name, so you probably don’t know them as eclipses.

Before I get to them, check out this eclipse of Mercury.

Source Image: Transit of Mercury - Wikipedia

See the black dot I’ve marked in the green circle? That’s Mercury between us and the Sun.

The smudge inside the blue circle is the sunspot. Notice how it’s bigger than the planet of Mercury.

In this image, Mercury is fully intent on blocking the Sun’s light from ever reaching us. But the poor guy is too small to have any meaningful impact.

So, we don’t even notice it.

In fact, Mercury’s obstruction of our view of the Sun is so unremarkable that it’s not even called an eclipse. The same goes for Venus, too.

No effect, but A+ for effort!

When is an Eclipse Not an Eclipse?

During a solar eclipse, the Moon blocks the Sun either fully or partially. Either way, the Moon is capable of blocking a substantial portion of the Sun when viewed from the Earth.

Remember, it’s not the actual size of the Moon that matters here, but its apparent size in the sky.

Since its apparent size in the sky, as seen from Earth, is large enough to block the Sun partially or entirely, its obstruction is known as an eclipse.

Now, would you call it an eclipse if an asteroid just happened to whizz past the Earth between us and the Sun?

You wouldn’t, because it’s simply too small to qualify as an eclipse!

That’s what happens when Mercury or Venus ends up between the Earth and the Sun. They’re just too small for us to experience an eclipse.

So, we call those events Transits!

Transits are Among the Most Important Events in Astronomy

Did you know that planets outside the solar system are too dim to be visible to us?

Several factors, including interstellar dust, brightness of the accompanying star, etc., make it almost impossible for us actually to see these exoplanets even with our most sophisticated telescopes.

So, how do we detect them?

We rely on transits.

When a planet passes before its home star, there’s a small drop in that star’s brightness.

Our sophisticated instruments are capable of detecting and measuring that drop in brightness. Based on this, we ascertain the existence of a planet around a faraway star.

In short, these “eclipses” or “transits,” whatever you wish to call them, play a central role in helping us detect planets outside the solar system.

The Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth

 Believe it or not, the Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth—about 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) every year! It might seem tiny, but over millions of years, this gradual shift is rewriting Earth’s cosmic story.

🔄 What’s Going On?

🌊 The Moon’s gravity pulls on Earth’s oceans, creating tides.

🌀 Those tides push back, nudging the Moon farther out.

⏳ As a result, Earth’s spin slows down—our days are getting longer!

🚀 What’s Ahead?

🌑 One day, total solar eclipses will be a thing of the past—the Moon will be too far to fully block the Sun.

🌊 Tides will weaken, transforming ocean patterns.

🔒 Eventually, Earth and the Moon may lock into a mutual orbit, always showing the same face to one another.

The Moon isn’t just orbiting us—it’s slowly waving goodbye. 🌌🌙✨

What are some of the best rare natural phenomena that occur on Earth?

 Stunning Turquoise Ice in Lake Baikal

Asperatus Clouds

Manhattanhenge — sometimes referred to as the Manhattan Solstice — is a circumstance which occurs twice a year, during which the setting sun aligns with the east–west streets of the main street grid in the borough of Manhattan

Milky Way arching over a Joshue Tree in California

Enchanted River

Enchanted River is found in Barangay Talisay, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. It is called "enchanted" because no one has ever reached its bottom.

The largest and deepest natural funnel on Earth

 The largest and deepest natural funnel on Earth is called Xiaotsai Tiankan.

It is located in the center of China, Penzhi. This amazing funnel is completely natural and measures 662 meters deep and 537 meters wide. But the most impressive thing is the diversity of life it contains.

Geologists are surprised by the influence of water on Xiaotsai Tiankan. A funnel was formed at the top of the cave, where an 8.5 kilometer long underground river falls into a beautiful waterfall. Thanks to its huge size it is the deepest karst funnel in the world.

It is home to about 1,300 species of plants and wild animals. Among the most interesting inhabitants of the underground forest is the misty panther, known to the locals since ancient times.

What would happen if there was no Moon?

 

"The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncomplicated, it doesn’t torment itself with guilt or sadness, only shines." - Tyler Kent White

A lot of things will happen if there is no moon. Some of these consequences will be greatly felt on Earth.

1. A. Tides would be much weaker or nonexistent, causing major changes to ocean currents, weather patterns, and coastlines.
2. B. The Earth's axial tilt, which causes the seasons, would be much less stable, leading to greater climate variability.
3. C. The moon helps regulate Earth's rotation, and its absence could cause the planet's day-night cycle to become irregular.
4. D. The Moon has a significant impact on the Earth's gravitational field, and its removal would alter the distribution of mass within the Earth-Sun system.
5. E. The absence of the moon could result in a significant increase in the number of asteroids and comets colliding with Earth.
6. F. The moon helps protect the earth from solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles from the sun. Without the moon, the earth would be exposed to more of this wind, leading to a loss of its protective magnetic field.
7. G. The absence of the moon would likely cause the earth's rotation to slow down over time, eventually leading to longer days and a slower axial rotation.
8. H. The Moon is believed to have formed from debris left over after a Mars-sized object collided with the Earth. Without the Moon, this event may never have happened, and the evolution of life on Earth could have been very different.
9. I. The Moon has a significant impact on the stability of Earth's orbit, and its absence could cause the planet to experience more extreme variations in its axial tilt and orbital eccentricity.
10. J. The moon's gravitational pull helps stabilise the Earth's axis, and its absence could result in more frequent and severe earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
11. K. The absence of the moon could cause the earth to have a more elliptical orbit, leading to greater temperature fluctuations and changes in the length of the year.
12. L. The Moon has a significant impact on the formation and evolution of life on Earth. Its absence could have prevented the evolution of many species, including humans.
13. M. The moon is thought to have played a role in the formation of the earth's atmosphere, and its absence could have prevented the development of an oxygen-rich atmosphere.
14. N. The absence of the moon could result in a weaker magnetic field, which would make it easier for solar wind to strip away the earth's atmosphere.
15. O. The moon's gravitational pull helps stabilise the earth's orbit and prevent it from moving too far away from the sun. Without the moon, the Earth's orbit could become more unstable, leading to changes in the planet's climate.
16. P. The moon has a significant impact on the Earth's ocean currents, and its absence could result in changes to the distribution of heat and nutrients in the oceans.
17. Q. The absence of the moon could make it harder for life on Earth to adapt to changing environmental conditions, as the stability of the planet's climate would be affected.
18. R. The moon has a significant impact on the Earth's crust, and its absence could result in changes to the planet's tectonic activity and the formation of mountains and oceans.
19. S. The absence of the moon could cause the earth's axis to become more tilted, leading to greater variation in the length of the day-night cycle and changes in the planet's climate.
20. T. The moon's gravitational pull helps regulate the Earth's orbit, and its absence could result in changes to the planet's climate and the distribution of water on its surface.
21. U. The absence of the moon could prevent the formation of tides, which are important for the survival of many species of marine life.
22. V. The moon helps to regulate the earth's axial tilt, and its absence could result in changes to the planet's climate and the distribution of seasons.
23. W. The absence of the moon could affect the timing of migration patterns for many species, as well as the timing of reproductive cycles and other biological processes.
24. X. The moon has a significant impact on the earth's magnetic field, and its absence could result in a weaker magnetic field and increased exposure to harmful solar radiation.
25. Y. The absence of the moon could affect the distribution of water on the earth's surface, as its gravitational pull helps to move ocean currents and distribute heat.
26. Z. The moon has had a significant impact on human culture and history, as its regular cycles have been used for thousands of years for calendars and for navigation. Without the Moon, many aspects of human civilization could have developed differently.

What is meant by superhabitable planet?

 A superhabitable planet is a hypothetical type of exoplanet that could be more suitable than Earth for the origin and evolution of life.

Here's what such a planet would look like:

With oceans that are shallower than Earth's and narrower continents, which means fewer to no deserts.

Green up to the poles suggests a warmer atmosphere which, since the ideal mass for a superhabitable planet would be about 1.2 Earth gravities, would not be caused by greenhouse gases, but only from a denser atmosphere.

The atmosphere should be rich in oxygen, but not much more than Earth has; too much oxygen and fires would become more frequent.

What is not shown in these two pics is a moon, which some consider essential for the development of life due to tides, which "stir" materials along the coasts, and because it is believed that a moon is necessary for a stable axial tilt.

If earth is geoid and every moon and planet are not a perfect sphere, why do NASA images show an exact circle?

 Okay, so let's take a look at the most famous picture of Earth that NASA ever took.

This photo has been compressed by Quora for display purposes, but my original image says it's 3000 x 3002 pixels. Let's say there are roughly 20–25 pixels of blackness on each side, that gives us an image size of roughly 2950 x 2960 for the Earth. Let's divide 7,901 miles by 2950. That gives us a visual scale of roughly 2.7 miles per pixel. That would make Mount Everest about 2 pixels tall, should be right there at the upper right. That scale would make the equatorial bulge about 5 pixels on either side!

Do you see the problem now? This photo from NASA shows the Earth as a nearly perfect sphere because it is! The variations from perfectly spherical are far too tiny to see at this scale. You're trying to see lumps and bumps less than a couple of pixels in size. You're looking for ten pixels of total bulge at the equator.

You can't see such tiny variations! You could easily measure them in Photoshop, but you can't see them on this screen.

This photo was taken from 18,300 miles away. From that distance, the Earth appears to be a nearly perfect sphere.

How tiny is the earth compared to other celestial objects in space?

 Solar system planets:

Now, if you add Sun:

And compare it to bigger stars:

And compare those stars to even bigger stars:

This would give you perspective and show how tiny the earth is in comparison to everything else.

What is the loudest sound on earth?

 The sound of the eruption of Mount Krakatoa

On August 27, 1883, at 10 am, Krakatoa erupted and made the loudest sound in history, making its sound around the earth 4 times.

In Batavia, the sound was recorded at 172 decibels, even though it was 109 miles away but the sound was much louder than a jet engine.

On a British ship 40 miles away, a sailor suffered a ruptured eardrum, his captain thinking the Apocalypse was near.

The power of the eruption was equal to 10,000 Hiroshima bombs, 36 thousand people died, the lava was falling at a rate of 60 miles per hour, the tsunami was 120 feet high, and wiped out 165 villages on the coast.

Which are some of the most difficult places to reach on earth?

 

Which are some of the most difficult places to reach on earth?

• Sural Bhatori : It is reportedly the most inaccessible village in India.
• This remote village is at Killar town of district Chamba in Himachal Pradesh.

• Dangerous : Killar road is reckoned among the most dangerous roads across the world.
• Over the years ; sudden landslides and limited space have led to many fatal accidents.

• Inaccessible : For eight months ; this region is covered with heavy snow.
• For another four months; it rains heavily .
• One needs an expert driver and heart felt prayer. to reach here.

• Tough : Naturally, only tough can survive here.
• Its residents collect essential food items; clothes and stockpile them under ground.
• Prison : In past, Sural Bhatori used to serve as a penal colony for enemy soldiers and hardened convicts.

• Bhotia : Later, Buddhist Bhotias -generally shepherds and yak herders- settled here as they found it verdant and spacious.
• But, its residents also practice Hinduism.

• Survival : Being cut off ; its residents are dependent on Indian army and state government for survival.
• In case of medical emergency ;people carry a sick for hours to reach a motor road.
• Many have opened Home stay for travel enthusiasts and adventurers.
• Well, people still stay here with dignity and visitors do visit it.
• Perhaps: “The most important factor in survival is neither intelligence nor strength but adaptability.” : Charles Darwin
• Pic Credits : Google Images/Web

How Big is the Sun Compared to Earth?

 

Have you ever looked up at the Sun and wondered just how big it really is compared to our planet? We know it’s massive — it lights up our days, fuels life on Earth, and governs the motion of planets. But when you dive into the actual numbers, the scale becomes almost unbelievable.

Let’s Start with Diameter

Earth’s diameter: ~12,742 km

Sun’s diameter: ~1,391,000 km

That means the Sun is about 109 times wider than Earth.

Now imagine placing 109 Earths side by side… and you’d just match the width of the Sun.

Now Think in Volume

Here’s where it gets even crazier:

You can fit approximately 1.3 million Earths inside the Sun if it were hollow and you could pack the Earths in like marbles.

Let that sink in — 1,300,000 Earths!

A Visual Comparison

If we scaled it down to everyday objects:

If the Sun were a basketball, the Earth would be the size of a sesame seed.

That’s how small we are in comparison.

Why is the Sun So Huge?

The Sun is a G-type main-sequence star, mostly made up of hydrogen and helium. Its enormous size allows it to generate immense pressure and temperature in its core, where nuclear fusion takes place — the process that powers the Sun and emits the energy we see as sunlight.

A Gravitational Giant

Due to its size and mass, the Sun contains about 99.86% of the total mass of our entire solar system. That’s why all the planets — including Earth — orbit around it.

Final Thought

Understanding the size of the Sun isn’t just about numbers — it gives us perspective. We live on a small planet, orbiting a massive star, in just one corner of a vast galaxy. And yet, here we are, thinking, learning, and exploring it all.

What are some mind-blowing facts about the planet Earth?

 

1. 
   That it was once a fireball, entirely covered in lava.
2. That once it was covered with snow for millions of years.
3. That it`s moon was made when earth collided with one planet billions of years ago.
4. That the rocks found on earth can be tracked and we can know if it`s from equator or some other region.
5. That water on earth was carried from other planets over millions of years.
6. That within 4 billion years earth would collide with the sun.
7. That our mother earth is not entirely round in shape, it`s oblate shaped.
8. for millions of years before life happened our beautiful planet absorbed a lot of impacts from meteors and asteroids shower continuously for millions of years.
9. That it took a lot of time for earth to position itself, so that every small detail ( thing) on earth is perfectly placed where it has to be.

How can the Sun's gravity extend so far and control objects at the edge of our Solar System?

 The size of the solar system is estimated to be about 122 astronomical units. That's 0.00193 light years, not two light years.

On the gravity part of the question, how can the sun’s gravity extend so far, you have to understand the mass of the sun. Size doesn't equal mass but first it is good to have an idea of the size of the sun.

Here's an interesting image.

This is a very common rendering and probably what most people have in mind. It may still be on the pages of school text books, I don't know. However, the ONLY thing they got right about it is the order of the planets. The distances between the sun and planets as well as the sizes are way off.

The sun and planets look more like this

This does change your perspective on the solar system, doesn't it? Changes your perspective of the whole universe! You can fit about 1.3 million earths inside the sun. But gravity is not dictated by the size or the volume, it's the mass that's relevant. Well, the sun is about 333,000 times the mass of the earth so it affects far objects a lot more than earth would.

How does the Earth avoid being swallowed by the red giant Sun?

On average, the distance between Earth and the sun is slowly increasing because the sun is losing mass. As the thermonuclear fusion reactions continue inside the Sun, there is a decrease in the Sun's mass. The continued, steady loss of mass of the Sun over millions of years results in a reduced gravitational pull of the Sun and so an expansion of the orbits of the planets.

As a red giant, our Sun will expand and heat up, forcing its current habitable zone, which now encompasses Earth, outward. Credit; Astronomy: Roen Kelly

Over the course of the sun's remaining lifetime — i.e., another 5 billion years or so – it is estimated that the sun will lose about 0.1% of its total mass when it reaches the red giant stage. 0.1% doesn’t sound like much, but it is a helluva lot of mass – equivalent to Jupiter’s mass. When the sun loses mass, its pull on Earth weakens, leading it drift away from the Sun about 6 centimeters per year.

It is estimated that the Sun-Earth distance may increase to about 150% of what it is now.

Will the Earth ever fall into a black hole? Black holes are said to "swallow" planets, making them dead. Can the Earth ever get into one?

 There is nothing impossible in this universe.

But every event is associated with a probability factor. And the probability of such an event happening (where Earth falls into a blackhole) is close to zero.

Also its misleading to state that Blackholes eat up everything. Because it gives an impression that Blackholes actively chases down every star and every planet to eat them out like a shark in the ocean, but that’s not correct.

It just has an immensly high gravitational pull, which decreases exponentially with distance.

A blackhole can be compared to a hole in an unimaginably vast golf course, where balls (planets or stars) will only fall into the hole if they approach dangerously close to the hole.

And if they do, there is nothing that can stop them from falling. The only catch is, this hole is not stationary (like in actual Golf course) and moves through space & time.

So, yes its not impossible for Earth to fall into a blackhole, but for that to happen, our solar system has to be in direct line of a moving blackhole and space is just toooo big (even for our Solar System) for that to happen.

Hence, not zero but almost zero probability.