We seem to think we know pretty much all there is to know about our Earth that nothing can surprise us at this point. You’ll be amazed when you find out how much you have yet to learn about our home planet: let’s start with 10 little-known earthly facts. You might know that it’s called “the blue planet”, but did you know that scientists say Earth was originally a different color? Or that the Moon isn’t Earth’s only satellite? The magnetic field is vital for Earth because it protects the planet from the impact of solar winds. We think of our planet’s magnetic field as something constant and stable, but the truth is that it’s changing. James Ross, an explorer and British naval officer, pinpointed the northern magnetic pole for the first time in 1831. In 1904, Roald Amundsen, a polar regions explorer from Norway, reached the north magnetic pole again and was surprised to find that it had shifted 31 miles since Ross's discovery. Earth, despite common belief, isn't perfectly round. It’s more like a squashed sphere. So its mass is irregular and differs in various places, which causes “wobbles” of gravity in different areas of the planet. A smaller celestial body about 750 miles wide orbited Earth like a second moon. It most likely crashed into our main satellite later on. Scientists also don't rule out the probability that one day Earth will get another satellite. If all the gold found inside the Earth could be extracted, it would be enough to cover the entire surface of the planet in a 2-foot layer of gold. And if we gave everyone an equal piece, each one of Earth’s inhabitants would get 9 pounds of this treasure. Magma lurking below the surface of crater lakes emits carbon dioxide into the waters of the lakes. This carbon dioxide builds up in a thick layer at the bottom of the lakes until pressure gives way, and it’s released in an explosion.

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