The earth is constantly in motion, revolving around the sun and around its own axis. This movement and the constant tilt of the Earth's axis (23.5°) determines many of the effects that we observe as normal phenomena: night and day (due to the rotation of the Earth on its axis), the change of seasons (due to the tilt of the Earth's axis), and different climate in different areas. Globes can be rotated and their axis has an inclination like the Earth's axis (23.5 °), so with the help of a globe you can trace the movement of the Earth around its axis quite accurately, and with the help of the "Earth - Sun" system you can trace the movement of the Earth around the Sun.

Rotation of the Earth around its axis

The earth rotates on its own axis from west to east (counterclockwise as viewed from the North Pole). It takes the Earth 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.09 seconds to complete one complete revolution on its own axis. Day and night are due to the rotation of the earth. The angular velocity of the Earth's rotation around its axis, or the angle by which any point on the Earth's surface turns, is the same. It is 15 degrees in one hour. But the linear speed of rotation anywhere on the equator is approximately 1,669 kilometers per hour (464 m/s), decreasing to zero at the poles. For example, the rotation speed at a latitude of 30° is 1445 km/h (400 m/s).
We do not notice the rotation of the Earth for the simple reason that all the objects around us are moving in parallel and simultaneously with us at the same speed and there are no "relative" movements of objects around us. If, for example, a ship moves evenly, without acceleration and deceleration across the sea in calm weather, without waves on the surface of the water, we will not feel at all how such a ship moves if we are in a cabin without a porthole, since all objects inside the cabin will be move in parallel with us and the ship.

Movement of the Earth around the Sun

While the Earth rotates on its own axis, it also rotates around the Sun from west to east counterclockwise, as viewed from the north pole. It takes the Earth one sidereal year (about 365.2564 days) to complete one complete revolution around the Sun. The path of the Earth around the Sun is called the Earth's orbit. and this orbit is not perfectly round. The average distance from the Earth to the Sun is about 150 million kilometers, and this distance varies up to 5 million kilometers, forming a small oval orbit (ellipse). The point in the Earth's orbit closest to the Sun is called Perihelion. Earth passes this point in early January. The point in the Earth's orbit that is farthest from the Sun is called Aphelion. Earth passes this point in early July.
Since our Earth moves around the Sun in an elliptical trajectory, the orbital speed changes. In July, the speed is minimal (29.27 km/s) and after passing aphelion (the upper red dot on the animation) it starts to accelerate, and in January the speed is maximum (30.27 km/s) and starts to slow down after passing the perihelion (lower red dot). ).
While the Earth makes one revolution around the Sun, it overcomes a distance equal to 942 million kilometers in 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes and 9.5 seconds, that is, we rush along with the Earth around the Sun at an average speed of 30 km per second (or 107 460 km per hour), and at the same time the Earth rotates around its own axis in 24 hours once (365 times in a year).
In fact, if we consider the movement of the Earth more scrupulously, then it is much more complicated, since various factors influence the Earth: the rotation of the Moon around the Earth, the attraction of other planets and stars.

The earth does not stand still, but is in constant motion. Due to the fact that it revolves around the Sun, the planet undergoes a change of seasons. However, not everyone remembers that, flying around the heavenly body, the Earth still has time to spin around its own axis. It is this movement that causes the change of day and night outside the window and is called diurnal.

To understand how and with what speed the Earth rotates around the Sun and its axis, AiF.ru helped astrophysicist, employee of the Moscow Planetarium Alexander Perkhnyak.

The movement of the earth around its axis

How does the earth rotate on its axis?

During the rotation of the Earth around its axis, only two points remain motionless: the North and South Poles. If you connect them with an imaginary line, you get the axis around which the Earth rotates. The earth's axis is not perpendicular, but is at an angle of 23.5 ° to the earth's orbit.

At what speed does the earth rotate on its axis?

The earth rotates around its axis at a speed of 465 m/s, or 1,674 km/h. The farther from the equator, the slower the planet's movement.

“Few people know that at a distance from the equator, the speed of rotation of the Earth becomes less. Visually it looks like this. The city of Quito is located near the equator line, which means that it and its inhabitants imperceptibly make a turn together with the Earth at a speed of 465 m/s. But the rotation speed of Muscovites living much north of the equator will be almost two times less: 260 m/s,” said Perkhnyak.

In which direction does the earth rotate?

The rotation of the Earth around its axis occurs from west to east. If you look at the Earth from above in the direction of the North Pole, then it will rotate counterclockwise.

Does the speed of the Earth's movement around its axis change?

Yes, it's changing. Every year, the Earth's course slows down by an average of 4 milliseconds.

“Astrophysicists attribute this phenomenon to the lunar attraction, which is known to affect the tides on our planet. So, when they occur, the Moon, as it were, tries to attract water to itself, moving it in the direction opposite to the course of the Earth. Due to this peculiar counteraction, an insignificant friction force arises at the bottom of the reservoirs, which, in accordance with the laws of physics, slows down the speed of the Earth. Slightly, only 4 milliseconds per year, ”Perkhnyak specified.

Movement of the Earth around the Sun

How does the earth revolve around the sun?

Our planet revolves around the Sun in an orbit with a length of more than 930 million km.

At what speed?

The Earth revolves around the Sun at a speed of 30 km / s, that is, 107,218 km / h.

How long does it take the earth to complete one revolution around the sun?

The Earth makes one complete revolution around the Sun in about 365 days. The time it takes for the Earth to completely revolve around the Sun is called a year.

In which direction does the Earth move when it circles around the Sun?

Around the Sun, the Earth rotates from west to east, as well as around its axis.

How far does the earth revolve around the sun?

The Earth revolves around the Sun at a distance of about 150 million km.

How do the seasons change?

During the rotation of the Earth around the Sun, its angle of inclination does not change. As a result, on one part of its trajectory, the Earth will be turned more towards the Sun by its lower half: the Southern Hemisphere, where summer comes. And at this time, the North Pole will be practically hidden from the sun: it means that winter is coming there. Twice a year, the Sun illuminates the Northern and Southern hemispheres approximately equally: this is the time of spring and autumn. These moments are also known as the spring and autumn equinoxes.

Why doesn't the Earth fall into the Sun?

“When the Earth revolves around the Sun, a centrifugal force is generated that tries to constantly push our planet away. But she won't be able to. And all because the Earth always moves around the star at the same speed and is at a safe distance from it, correlated with the centrifugal force with which they are trying to knock the Earth out of orbit. That is why the Earth does not fall on the Sun and does not fly away into space, but continues to move along a given trajectory,” said Alexander Perkhnyak.

The period of revolution of the Earth around its axis is a constant value. Astronomically, it is equal to 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds. However, scientists did not take into account the insignificant error, rounding these figures up to 24 hours, or one Earth day. One such revolution is called a daily rotation and occurs from west to east. For a person from Earth, it looks like morning, afternoon and evening, replacing each other. In other words, the sunrise, noon and sunset of the sun completely coincide with the daily rotation of the planet.

What is the Earth's axis?

The Earth's axis can be mentally represented as an imaginary line around which the third planet from the Sun rotates. This axis crosses the surface of the Earth at two constant points - at the North and South geographic poles. If, for example, we mentally continue the direction of the earth's axis upwards, then it will pass next to the North Star. By the way, this explains the immobility of the North Star. The effect is created that the celestial sphere moves around the axis, and therefore around this star.

It also seems to a person from Earth that the starry sky rotates in the direction from east to west. But it's not. The apparent movement is only a reflection of the true diurnal rotation. It is important to know that our planet simultaneously participates in not one, but at least two processes. It revolves around the earth's axis and makes an orbital motion around the celestial body.

The apparent movement of the Sun is also a reflection of the true movement of our planet in its orbit around it. As a result, first comes the day, and then - the night. Note that one movement is unthinkable without the other! These are the laws of the universe. Moreover, if the period of revolution of the Earth around its axis is equal to one Earth day, then the time of its movement around the celestial body is a variable value. Let's find out what influences these indicators.

What affects the speed of the Earth's orbital rotation?

The period of revolution of the Earth around its axis is a constant value, which cannot be said about the speed with which the blue planet moves in orbit around the star. For a long time, astronomers thought that this speed was constant. It turned out not! Currently, thanks to the most accurate measuring instruments, scientists have found a slight deviation in the previously obtained figures.

The reason for this variability is the friction that occurs during sea tides. It is it that directly affects the decrease in the orbital speed of the third planet from the Sun. In turn, the ebbs and flows are a consequence of the action on the Earth of its permanent satellite - the Moon. A person does not notice such a revolution of the planet around the heavenly body, as well as the period of rotation of the Earth around its axis. But we cannot help but pay attention to spring giving way to summer, summer to autumn, and autumn to winter. And this happens all the time. This is the consequence of the orbital movement of the planet, which lasts 365.25 days, or one Earth year.

It is worth noting that the Earth moves relative to the Sun unevenly. For example, at some points it is closest to the heavenly body, and at others it is the most distant from it. And one more thing: the orbit around the Earth is not a circle, but an oval, or an ellipse.

Why does a person not notice the daily rotation?

A person will never be able to notice the rotation of the planet, being on its surface. This is due to the difference in the size of ours and the globe - it is too huge for us! The period of revolution of the Earth around its axis cannot be noticed in any way, but it will be possible to feel: the day will be replaced by night and vice versa. This has already been discussed above. But what would happen if the blue planet could not rotate around its axis? And here's what: on one side of the Earth there would be eternal day, and on the other - eternal night! Terrible, isn't it?

It's important to know!

So, the period of the Earth's revolution around its axis is almost 24 hours, and the time of its "journey" around the Sun is about 365.25 days (one Earth year), since this value is not constant. Let us draw your attention to the fact that, in addition to the two considered movements, the Earth also participates in others. For example, she, along with the rest of the planets, moves relative to the Milky Way - our native Galaxy. In turn, it makes some movement relative to other neighboring galaxies. And everything happens because there has never been and never will be anything immutable and immovable in the Universe! This must be remembered for the rest of your life.

Hello dear readers! Today I would like to touch on the topic of the Earth and, and I thought that a post on how the Earth rotates will be useful to you 🙂 After all, day and night, and also the seasons, depend on it. Let's get to know everyone better.

Our planet rotates on its axis and around the sun. When it makes one revolution around its axis, one day passes, and when it circles the Sun, one year. More on this below:

Earth axis.

Earth's axis (axis of rotation of the Earth) - this is a straight line around which the daily rotation of the Earth occurs; this line passes through the center and intersects the surface of the Earth.

The tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation.

The axis of rotation of the Earth is inclined to the plane at an angle of 66°33´; thanks to this happens . When the Sun is over the Tropic of the North (23°27´ N), summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Earth is at its furthest distance from the Sun.

When the Sun rises over the Tropic of the South (23°27´ S), summer begins in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the Northern Hemisphere, winter begins at this time. The attraction of the Moon, the Sun and other planets does not change the angle of the earth's axis, but leads to the fact that it moves along a circular cone. This movement is called precession.

The North Pole is pointing towards the North Star. The earth's axis over the next 12,000 years, as a result of precession, will pass approximately halfway, and will be directed to the star Vega.

About 25,800 years constitutes a complete cycle of precession and significantly influences the climate cycle.

Twice a year, when the Sun is directly over the equator, and twice a month, when the Moon is in a similar position, the attraction due to precession decreases to zero and there is a periodic increase and decrease in the rate of precession.

Such oscillatory movements of the earth's axis are known as nutation, which peaks every 18.6 years. In terms of its impact on climate, this periodicity ranks second after change of seasons.

Rotation of the Earth around its axis.

Earth's daily rotation the movement of the Earth counterclockwise, or from west to east, as viewed from the North Pole of the world. The rotation of the Earth determines the length of the day and causes day and night to change.

The Earth makes one revolution around its axis in 23 hours 56 minutes and 4.09 seconds. During the period of one revolution around the Sun, the Earth makes approximately 365 ¼ revolutions, which is one year or 365 ¼ days.

Every four years, another day is added to the calendar, because for each such turn, except for a whole day, another quarter of a day is spent. The rotation of the Earth gradually slows down the gravitational pull of the Moon, and prolongs the day by about 1/1000 of every century.

Judging by the geological data, the rate of rotation of the Earth could change, but not more than 5%.

Around the Sun, the Earth rotates in an elliptical orbit, close to circular, at a speed of about 107,000 km / h in the direction from west to east. The average distance to the Sun is 149,598 thousand km, and the difference between the smallest and the largest distance is 4.8 million km.

The eccentricity (deviation from the circle) of the earth's orbit changes slightly over a cycle of 94 thousand years. It is believed that the formation of a complex climatic cycle is facilitated by changes in the distance to the Sun, and the advance and retreat of glaciers during ice ages are associated with its individual stages.

Everything in our vast universe is very complex and precise. And our Earth is just a point in it, but this is our home, which we learned a little more about from a post about how the Earth rotates. See you in new posts about the study of the Earth and the Universe🙂

Like all the planets of our vast solar system, the Earth makes two main revolutions - around its axis and around the Sun. The time of one rotation of the Earth around its axis is called a day, and the period during which it goes around its orbit around the Sun is called a year. This movement is the key to life and physical laws on the planet, according to which we all exist. At the slightest failure (which has not yet happened), the work of all spheres of the Earth, ecosystems and living organisms will be disrupted.

Features of the rotation of the planet

Both in the people and in science, the time of one revolution of the Earth around its axis is called a day. They consist of a day and a night, which take place in an average of 24 hours. Our planet rotates counterclockwise, that is, from west to east. It is thanks to this that the inhabitants of the eastern regions are the first to meet the dawn, and the inhabitants of the western hemisphere are the last. An axis is a conditional line that passes through the south and north poles of the planet. Thus, these extreme points do not participate in the rotation process, while all other parts of the earth move.

Since the movement of the planet is from west to east, we can observe how the entire celestial sphere seems to pass us in the opposite direction, that is, from east to west. This applies to the Sun, and all the stars that we are. The exception is the Moon, since it is an earthly satellite with an individual orbit.

The movement of our planet in numbers

It is the daily period that determines the speed around the axis. In 24 hours, this celestial body must complete a complete revolution, taking into account its own parameters and mass. We have already said that the axis pierces the Earth from north to south, and during this process the poles do not rotate around it. At this time, all other zones, including the subpolar and equatorial ones, move at a certain pace. The speed of rotation of the Earth in the region of the equator is maximum. It reaches 1670 km / h. At the same time, in this area, day and night have an equal number of hours throughout the year.

The speed of rotation of the Earth in Italy on average reaches 1200 km / h with a seasonal change in the length of day and night. Thus, the closer we move to the poles, the slower the planet rotates there, gradually coming to zero.

What are the days and how are they calculated?

The time of one revolution of the Earth around its axis is called a day, and exactly 24 hours are placed in this interval. But it is worth remembering that there are such concepts as a solar day and sidereal, which have a small but significant difference.

First, let's look at all the features of the first type. First, not every day lasts exactly 24 hours. In those moments when the planet approaches the Sun, its rotation speed around its axis increases. During periods of removal from the main luminary of the system, the movement of the planet Earth slows down. Therefore, in summer, days can flow a little faster, and in winter they last longer.

As for the sidereal day, their duration is 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. This is the time during which our planet rotates around its axis relative to some distant star. That is, if the distant luminary turned out to be the Sun, then the entire revolution, consisting of 360 degrees, would be complete during this period. Well, in order for it to reach the end relative to the Sun itself, it is necessary to pass one more degree, which takes just four minutes.

The second important rotation of the planet is around the Sun

The Earth circles the Sun in an elliptical orbit. That is, its circulation occurs not according to a clear circle shape, but according to an oval pattern. The speed of the Earth around the Sun is on average 107,000 km / h, but this unit is not constant. The average distance of our planet from the star is 150 million kilometers. The exact and unchanged unit is the degree of inclination of the earth's axis relative to the orbit - 66 degrees and 33 seconds, regardless of the time of day and year. It is this inclination, coupled with the shape of the orbit, the variable speed of movement and circulation, that makes it possible for us to feel seasonal climate changes, but not at all latitudes. If diurnal time fluctuations and any changes are multiplied by zero at the poles, then seasonal features also die out at the equator. Every day from year to year passes here in the same way as the previous one, with the same weather, as well as the length of day and night.

The ecliptic and its annual cycle

The term "ecliptic" means a section of the celestial sphere, which is also within the limits of the Moon. Within the boundaries of this conditional circle, all the main movements of our planet take place, as well as the circulation of the moon around it. It is worth noting that the latter has a considerable influence on the climate, hydrosphere, and the Moon can be the cause of eclipses, lithospheric metamorphoses, and much more.

As for the ecliptic itself, this plane has its own celestial equator, which has certain astronomical coordinates. The inclination of all the planets of the solar system is calculated relative to them. Similarly, the position of the stars and galaxies that we see in the sky is calculated (after all, their light enters the ecliptic, therefore, all viewed are part of it). This theory is the basis of astrology. According to this science, those constellations that pass through the ecliptic make up the Zodiac. The only unit that does not fall into this category is the Ophiuchus. This constellation is visible in the sky, but it is not in the astrological tables.

Summarizing

We have determined that the time of one rotation of the Earth around its axis is called a day. The latter are solar (24 hours) or sidereal (23 hours 56 minutes). The change of day and night occurs in all latitudes of the planet, with the exception of the poles. There, the earth's rotational speed is zero. The revolution of the planet around the Sun occurs in a year - 365 days. During this period, there is a change of seasons in all corners of the Earth, but not at the equator. This zone is the most stable, while it rotates around its axis with