Earth

=== Orbit ===
{{Main|Earth's orbit|Earth's location}}
[[File:Seasons1.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|Exaggerated illustration of Earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun, marking that the orbital extreme points ([[apoapsis]] and [[periapsis]]) are not the same as the four seasonal extreme points, the [[equinox]] and [[solstice]]]]
Earth orbits the Sun, making Earth the third-closest planet to the Sun and part of the [[inner Solar System]]. Earth's average orbital distance is about {{convert|150|e6km|e6mi|abbr=unit}}, which is the basis for the [[Astronomical Unit]] and is equal to roughly 8.3 [[light minute]]s or 380 times [[Lunar distance (astronomy)|Earth's distance to the Moon]].

Earth orbits the Sun every 365.2564 mean [[solar day]]s, or one [[sidereal year]]. With an apparent movement of the Sun in Earth's sky at a rate of about 1°/day eastward, which is one apparent Sun or Moon diameter every 12&nbsp;hours. Due to this motion, on average it takes 24&nbsp;hours—a solar day—for Earth to complete a full rotation about its axis so that the Sun returns to the [[Meridian (astronomy)|meridian]].

The orbital speed of Earth averages about {{convert|29.78|km/s|km/h mph|abbr=on}}, which is fast enough to travel a distance equal to Earth's diameter, about {{convert|12742|km|mi|abbr=on}}, in seven minutes, and the distance to the Moon, {{convert|384000|km|mi|abbr=on}}, in about 3.5 hours.<ref name="earth_fact_sheet" />

The Moon and Earth orbit a common [[barycenter]] every 27.32&nbsp;days relative to the background stars. When combined with the Earth–Moon system's common orbit around the Sun, the period of the [[synodic month]], from new moon to new moon, is 29.53&nbsp;days. Viewed from the [[celestial pole|celestial north pole]], the motion of Earth, the Moon, and their axial rotations are all [[counterclockwise]]. Viewed from a vantage point above the Sun and Earth's north poles, Earth orbits in a counterclockwise direction about the Sun. The orbital and axial planes are not precisely aligned: Earth's [[axial tilt|axis is tilted]] some 23.44 degrees from the perpendicular to the Earth–Sun plane (the [[ecliptic]]), and the Earth-Moon plane is tilted up to ±5.1 degrees against the Earth–Sun plane. Without this tilt, there would be an eclipse every two weeks, alternating between [[lunar eclipse]]s and [[solar eclipse]]s.<ref name="earth_fact_sheet" /><ref name="moon_fact_sheet" />

The [[Hill sphere]], or the sphere of [[Gravity|gravitational]] influence, of Earth is about {{convert|1.5|e6km|mi|abbr=unit}} in radius.<ref name="vazquez_etal2006" /><ref group="n" name="hill_radius" /> This is the maximum distance at which Earth's gravitational influence is stronger than the more distant Sun and planets. Objects must orbit Earth within this radius, or they can become unbound by the gravitational perturbation of the Sun.<ref name="vazquez_etal2006" /> Earth, along with the Solar System, is situated in the [[Milky Way]] and orbits about 28,000&nbsp;[[light-year]]s from its center. It is about 20&nbsp;light-years above the [[galactic plane]] in the [[Orion Arm]].<ref name="nasa20051201" />