EARTH
Last Planet   Next Planet		Earth, the third planet in our solar system. The Earth-Sun distance is about 149,600,000 km on the average. The Earth is accompanied by an orbiting companion, the Moon, that is smaller than the Earth but is large enough for many astronomers to consider the Earth and Moon as a double-planet system. Earth is also known as "Gaea ", from Greek mythology the Mother Earth. Gaea sprang from Chaos, and was the mother of Uranus (heaven) and Pontus (ocean). She was the mother of the Cyclops and the Titans and the Hecatoncheires. Ultimately, she is the source of all life. As a result, the tradition of placing a newborn child upon the earth began. Many words using the "geo " suffix exist, such as geography, geology, and geometry.

Source: Grollier's Multimedia Encyclopedia, © 1998 Grolier Interactive Inc.