In 1859, the largest known geomagnetic storm struck the Caribbean, causing an aurora and telegraphs could even operate without a power source.
25
The North Atlantic gets 2.5 centimetres (1in) wider every year.
119
According to a 2011 poll, 32% of Russians believe that the Sun orbits Earth.
11
It takes a photon 170,000 years to travel from the core of the Sun to the surface, but only 8 minutes to travel the rest of the way to Earth.
6
A single speck of dust is half way in size between a subatomic particle and the Earth.
15
According to a study by the National Science Foundation, only half of Americans believe in evolution, and one in 4 don't know that the Earth orbits the Sun.
14
The United States has paved enough roads to circle the Earth over 150 times.
72
The Earth sees about 760 thunderstorms every hour, scientists have calculated.
185