Falling to the Earth's Center Would Take Over a Day

Really. If you can picture a skydiver "free-falling" past the Earth's surface it would take well over 24 hours to reach the center of the planet.


Imagining this thrilling scenario helps illustrate just how far the middle of the Earth is from the surface. It's almost 4,000 miles--farther than the distance between New York and Paris.

Picture jumping out of your plane at 10,000 feet. In a few seconds you'd reach your maximum speed of 124 mph and you'd pass (magically) through the the Earth's surface less than a minute later. But lets hope you packed a lunch because you have a long-haul ahead. Your free-fall will take 32 hours--one and a third days--to carry you to the Earth's center.

PB