(Via NASA)

Earth can sometimes feel like the last place you want to be. Many forward thinkers and sci-fi authors have devised inventive ways we could move civilization off this planet. Sure, the promise of a better life in the mysterious beyond can be seductive. But the fact is the more we learn about “out there,” the more we realize how very special it is right here.

“When I looked up and saw the Earth coming up on this very stark, beat up lunar horizon, an Earth that was the only color that we could see, a very fragile looking Earth, a very delicate looking Earth, I was immediately almost overcome by the thought that here we came all this way to the Moon, and yet the most significant thing we’re seeing is our own home planet, the Earth,” said William Anders, LM Pilot on Apollo 8, the first crewed mission to the Moon.

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2020, NASA reflected on nine reasons Earth is the best place to live. From freely breathable air to convenient gravity and liquid water, you can see all of them at: Nine Reasons We’re Grateful to Live on Earth | NASA