The Earth's orbit is the trajectory of its rotation around the Sun, its shape is an ellipse, it is located on average at a distance of 150 million kilometers from the Sun (the maximum distance is called aphelion - 152 million km, the minimum - perihelion, 147 million km).
The Earth completes a full revolution around the Sun, 940 million km long, moving from west to east at an average speed of 108,000 km/h in 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes and 9 seconds, or one sidereal year.
The movement of the planet in its orbit around the Sun and the angle of inclination of the axis of rotation to the plane where celestial bodies move directly affect the change of seasons and the inequality of day and night.
Features of the Earth's rotation around the Sun
(Structure of the Solar System)
In ancient times, astronomers believed that the Earth was located at the center of the Universe and all celestial bodies revolved around it; this theory was called geocentric. It was debunked by the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus in 1534, who created a heliocentric model of the world, which proved that the Sun cannot revolve around the Earth, no matter how much Ptolemy, Aristotle and their followers wanted it.
The Earth revolves around the Sun along an elliptical path called an orbit, its length is about 940 million km and the planet travels this distance in 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes and 9 seconds. After four years, these six hours accumulate per day, they are added to the year as another day (February 29), such a year is a leap year.
(Perihelion and aphelion)
During the period of movement along a given trajectory, the distance from the Earth to the Sun can be maximum (this phenomenon occurs on July 3 and is called aphelion or apohelion) - 152 million. km or minimum - 147 million. km (occurs on January 3, called perihelion).
As a result of the Earth's distance and approach to the Sun, due to the inclination of the Earth's axis to the plane of its orbit around the Sun at 66.5º, the Earth's surface receives an unequal amount of heat and light, which causes the change of seasons and changes in the duration of day and night. Equatorial days and nights are always equally long, they last 12 hours.
Speed of the Earth moving in orbit
Earth's revolution around the Sun: 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes and 9 seconds
Average speed of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun: 30 km/s or 108,000 km/h (it's 1/10000th the speed of light)
For comparison, the diameter of our planet is 12,700 km, with this speed it is possible to cover this distance in 7 minutes, and the distance from the Earth to the Moon (384 thousand km) in four hours. Moving away from the Sun during the aphelion period, the Earth's speed slows down to 29.3 km/s, and during the perihelion period it accelerates to 30.3 km/s.
The influence of the Earth's orbit around the Sun on the changing seasons
The angle between the Earth's axis and the plane of the ellipse is 66.3º, and it is the same along the entire length of the orbit. The angle between the plane in which the Earth moves relative to the Sun (called the ecliptic) and its axis of rotation is 26º 26 ꞌ.
(Change of seasons on Earth)
The places where the plane of the celestial equator intersects the plane of the ecliptic are designated by the vernal points ( 21 March) and autumnal equinox ( 23 September), days and nights are equally long, and the areas of the hemispheres facing the Sun are evenly illuminated and warmed, the rays of the Sun fall on the equator line at an angle of 90º. The astronomical beginning of spring and autumn in the corresponding hemispheres is calculated using the dates of the spring and autumn equinoxes.
There are also points of summer ( 22nd of June) and winter ( December 22) solstice, the rays of the Sun become perpendicular not to the equator line, but to the Southern and Northern Tropics (the southern and northern parallels are 23.5º). On the day of the summer solstice, June 22, in the Northern Hemisphere, up to 66.5 parallels, the day is longer than the night, in the Southern Hemisphere, the night is longer than the day, this date is the astronomical beginning of summer in northern latitudes and winter in southern latitudes.
On December 22 (winter solstice day) in the Southern Hemisphere up to the 66.5 parallel the day length is longer, in the Northern Hemisphere up to the same parallel it is shorter. The date of the winter solstice is the astronomical beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of summer in the Southern.
Our planet is in constant motion. Together with the Sun, it moves in space around the center of the Galaxy. And she, in turn, moves in the Universe. But the rotation of the Earth around the Sun and its own axis plays the greatest importance for all living things. Without this movement, conditions on the planet would be unsuitable for supporting life.
solar system
According to scientists, the Earth as a planet in the solar system was formed more than 4.5 billion years ago. During this time, the distance from the luminary practically did not change. The speed of the planet's movement and the gravitational force of the Sun balanced its orbit. It's not perfectly round, but it's stable. If the gravity of the star had been stronger or the speed of the Earth had noticeably decreased, then it would have fallen into the Sun. Otherwise, sooner or later it would fly into space, ceasing to be part of the system.
The distance from the Sun to the Earth makes it possible to maintain optimal temperature on its surface. The atmosphere also plays an important role in this. As the Earth rotates around the Sun, the seasons change. Nature has adapted to such cycles. But if our planet were at a greater distance, the temperature on it would become negative. If it were closer, all the water would evaporate, since the thermometer would exceed the boiling point.
The path of a planet around a star is called an orbit. The trajectory of this flight is not perfectly circular. It has an ellipse. The maximum difference is 5 million km. The closest point of the orbit to the Sun is at a distance of 147 km. It's called perihelion. Its land passes in January. In July, the planet is at its maximum distance from the star. The greatest distance is 152 million km. This point is called aphelion.
The rotation of the Earth around its axis and the Sun ensures a corresponding change in daily patterns and annual periods.
For humans, the movement of the planet around the center of the system is imperceptible. This is because the mass of the Earth is enormous. Nevertheless, every second we fly about 30 km in space. This seems unrealistic, but these are the calculations. On average, it is believed that the Earth is located at a distance of about 150 million km from the Sun. It makes one full revolution around the star in 365 days. The distance traveled per year is almost a billion kilometers.
The exact distance that our planet travels in a year, moving around the star, is 942 million km. Together with her we move through space in an elliptical orbit at a speed of 107,000 km/hour. The direction of rotation is from west to east, that is, counterclockwise.
The planet does not complete a full revolution in exactly 365 days, as is commonly believed. In this case, about six more hours pass. But for the convenience of chronology, this time is taken into account in total for 4 years. As a result, one additional day “accumulates”; it is added in February. This year is considered a leap year.
The speed of rotation of the Earth around the Sun is not constant. It has deviations from the average value. This is due to the elliptical orbit. The difference between the values is most pronounced at the perihelion and aphelion points and is 1 km/sec. These changes are invisible, since we and all the objects around us move in the same coordinate system.
Change of seasons
The Earth's rotation around the Sun and the tilt of the planet's axis make the seasons possible. This is less noticeable at the equator. But closer to the poles, the annual cyclicity is more pronounced. The northern and southern hemispheres of the planet are heated unevenly by the energy of the Sun.
Moving around the star, they pass four conventional orbital points. At the same time, alternately twice during the six-month cycle they find themselves further or closer to it (in December and June - the days of the solstices). Accordingly, in a place where the surface of the planet warms up better, the ambient temperature there is higher. The period in such a territory is usually called summer. In the other hemisphere it is noticeably colder at this time - it is winter there.
After three months of such movement with a periodicity of six months, the planetary axis is positioned in such a way that both hemispheres are in the same conditions for heating. At this time (in March and September - the days of the equinox) the temperature regimes are approximately equal. Then, depending on the hemisphere, autumn and spring begin.
Earth's axis
Our planet is a rotating ball. Its movement is carried out around a conventional axis and occurs according to the principle of a top. By resting its base on the plane in an untwisted state, it will maintain balance. When the rotation speed weakens, the top falls.
The earth has no support. The planet is affected by the gravitational forces of the Sun, Moon and other objects of the system and the Universe. Nevertheless, it maintains a constant position in space. The speed of its rotation, obtained during the formation of the core, is sufficient to maintain relative equilibrium.
The earth's axis does not pass perpendicularly through the globe of the planet. It is inclined at an angle of 66°33´. The rotation of the Earth around its axis and the Sun makes possible the change of seasons. The planet would “tumble” in space if it did not have a strict orientation. There would be no talk of any constancy of environmental conditions and life processes on its surface.
Axial rotation of the Earth
The rotation of the Earth around the Sun (one revolution) occurs throughout the year. During the day it alternates between day and night. If you look at the Earth's North Pole from space, you can see how it rotates counterclockwise. It completes a full rotation in approximately 24 hours. This period is called a day.
The speed of rotation determines the speed of day and night. In one hour, the planet rotates approximately 15 degrees. The speed of rotation at different points on its surface is different. This is due to the fact that it has a spherical shape. At the equator, the linear speed is 1669 km/h, or 464 m/sec. Closer to the poles this figure decreases. At the thirtieth latitude, the linear speed will already be 1445 km/h (400 m/sec).
Due to its axial rotation, the planet has a somewhat compressed shape at the poles. This movement also “forces” moving objects (including air and water flows) to deviate from their original direction (Coriolis force). Another important consequence of this rotation is the ebb and flow of tides.
the change of night and day
A spherical object is only half illuminated by a single light source at a certain moment. In relation to our planet, in one part of it there will be daylight at this moment. The unlit part will be hidden from the Sun - it is night there. Axial rotation makes it possible to alternate these periods.
In addition to the light regime, the conditions for heating the surface of the planet with the energy of the luminary change. This cyclicality is important. The speed of change of light and thermal regimes is carried out relatively quickly. In 24 hours, the surface does not have time to either heat up excessively or cool down below the optimal level.
The rotation of the Earth around the Sun and its axis at a relatively constant speed is of decisive importance for the animal world. Without a constant orbit, the planet would not remain in the optimal heating zone. Without axial rotation, day and night would last for six months. Neither one nor the other would contribute to the origin and preservation of life.
Uneven rotation
Throughout its history, humanity has become accustomed to the fact that the change of day and night occurs constantly. This served as a kind of standard of time and a symbol of the uniformity of life processes. The period of rotation of the Earth around the Sun is influenced to a certain extent by the ellipse of the orbit and other planets in the system.
Another feature is the change in the length of the day. The Earth's axial rotation occurs unevenly. There are several main reasons. Seasonal variations associated with atmospheric dynamics and precipitation distribution are important. In addition, a tidal wave directed against the direction of the planet’s movement constantly slows it down. This figure is negligible (for 40 thousand years per 1 second). But over 1 billion years, under the influence of this, the length of the day increased by 7 hours (from 17 to 24).
The consequences of the Earth's rotation around the Sun and its axis are being studied. These studies are of great practical and scientific importance. They are used not only to accurately determine stellar coordinates, but also to identify patterns that can influence human life processes and natural phenomena in hydrometeorology and other areas.
Earth commits full revolution around the Sun in 365 days and 6 hours. For convenience, they believe that there are 365 days in a year, and every four years, when 24 hours out of 6 hours are “accumulated,” there are not 365, but 366 days in a year. This year is called a leap year, and one day is added to February. The earth's axis is tilted at an angle of 66.5° and moves in space parallel to itself throughout the year:
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Therefore, the northern and then the southern polar regions of the Earth are illuminated, which leads to the change of seasons and the inequality of day and night throughout the year at all latitudes except the equator. The beginning of astronomical spring and autumn are considered to be the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes (when the sun's rays fall at an angle of 90° on the equator and touch the poles - March 21 and September 23). And the beginning of summer and winter are the days of the corresponding solstices (when the height of the Sun above the horizon at noon is greatest - June 22 and December 22).
In a day summer solstice — June 22 - the earth's axis with its northern end faces the Sun - the sun's rays at noon fall vertically at 23.5° parallel to northern latitude - the so-called northern tropic (Tropic of Cancer). All parallels north of the equator up to 66.5° N. w. Most of the day is illuminated; at these latitudes, the day is longer than the night. Parallel 66, 5° N. w. is the boundary from which the polar day begins - this Arctic Circle. On the same day, on all parallels south of the equator to 66.5° S. w. the day is shorter than the night. South of 66.5° S. w. — the area is not illuminated at all — it’s polar night there. Parallel 66, 5° S. w. — the southern polar circle.
In a day winter solstice- On December 22, the earth's axis with its southern end faces the Sun, and the sun's rays at noon fall vertically at 23.5° parallel to southern latitude - the so-called southern tropic (Tropic of Capricorn). On all parallels south of the equator up to 66.5° S. w. the day is longer than the night. Starting from the Antarctic Circle, the Sun does not set below the horizon - it sets polar day. Beyond the Arctic Circle, everything is immersed in darkness - it dominates polar night.
The polar circles are remarkable because they are the boundaries of polar days and polar nights.
This is just how they say “polar night”. It can last in the polar zones from one day at the latitude of the Northern or Southern Polar Circles to 178 days at the North or South Poles. During the polar night, the Sun does not appear above the horizon. In the Northern Hemisphere, at the latitude of the Arctic Circle, this period begins on December 22, the day of the winter solstice, and earlier in higher latitudes.
Polar day- this is the period when the Sun does not fall below the horizon. The closer to the pole you are from the Arctic Circle, the longer the polar day. At the latitude of the Arctic Circle it lasts one day, at the North Pole - 189 days.
In the Northern Hemisphere, at the latitude of the Arctic Circle, the polar day begins on June 22, the day of the summer solstice, and earlier in higher latitudes.
A similar phenomenon is observed in the Southern Hemisphere, but in a different half of the year.
Earth is a planet of the solar system:
- solar system
- Starry sky
- Shape and size of the Earth. Rotation of the Earth around its axis
- Distribution of light and heat on Earth
- The influence of the Sun and Moon on people's lives
- Human space exploration
Reviews (20) to the article “The rotation of the Earth around the Sun”
Well, why is it good that you don’t have a polar night?) It must be indescribable beauty. There were so many discoveries before, I would like to think why in our time there are no similar discoveries and calculations? There are so many unknown and interesting things in the world!
I really need this article! The material can be used in astronomy lessons, which is what I actually did :) And the material is not bad for geography. Thanks to the authors. More interesting and useful articles, and it will be great! Thank you all for your attention
Reading this article, I remembered my old school past. The material is very accessible, and the graphic design is top notch. I would like today's schoolchildren to read articles like this. And then I saw how a young woman, when asked about the rotation of the Earth around the Sun, answered that she was sure of the opposite, that it was the Sun that revolved around the Earth...
Sometimes, when you read something about the Universe or the solar system, you inevitably begin to think that someone invented and created all this. After all, for some reason the Earth’s axis was tilted so that the seasons change.
I read the article and I really liked it, I knew half of it all, but the other was a discovery for me.
In general, many thanks to the author, a very useful article.
The Earth, as we know, is constantly moving and this movement consists of its rotation around its axis and, in an ellipse, around the Sun. Thanks to these rotations, the seasons of the year change on our planet, and day gives way to night. What is the speed of rotation of the Earth?
Speed of rotation of the Earth around its axis
If we consider the rotation of the Earth around its axis (of course, imaginary), then it makes one full revolution in 24 hours (more precisely, 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds), and it is generally accepted that at the equator the speed of this rotation is 1670 kilometers per hour. The rotation of our planet around its axis causes the change of day and night, and it is called diurnal.
The speed of rotation of the Earth around the Sun
The Earth rotates around our star along a closed elliptical trajectory, and completes a full revolution in 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds (this period of time is called a year). Hours, minutes and seconds make up another ¼ of a day, and over four years these “quarters” add up to a full day. Therefore, every fourth year consists of exactly 366 days and is called
Since ancient times, people have been interested in why night gives way to day, winter in spring, and summer in autumn. Later, when answers to the first questions were found, scientists began to take a closer look at the Earth as an object, trying to find out at what speed the Earth rotates around the Sun and around its axis.
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Earth movement
All celestial bodies are in motion, the Earth is no exception. Moreover, it simultaneously undergoes axial movement and movement around the Sun.
To visualize the movement of the Earth, just look at the top, which simultaneously rotates around an axis and quickly moves along the floor. If this movement did not exist, the Earth would not be suitable for life. Thus, our planet, without rotation around its axis, would be constantly turned to the Sun with one side, on which the air temperature would reach +100 degrees, and all the water available in this area would turn into steam. On the other side, the temperature would be constantly below zero and the entire surface of this part would be covered with ice.
Rotation orbit
Rotation around the Sun follows a certain trajectory - an orbit that is established due to the attraction of the Sun and the speed of movement of our planet. If the gravity were several times stronger or the speed was much lower, then the Earth would fall into the Sun. What if the attraction disappeared or greatly decreased, then the planet, driven by its centrifugal force, flew tangentially into space. This would be similar to spinning an object tied to a rope above your head and then suddenly releasing it.
The Earth's trajectory is shaped like an ellipse rather than a perfect circle, and the distance to the star varies throughout the year. In January, the planet approaches the point closest to the star - it is called perihelion - and is 147 million km away from the star. And in July, the Earth moves 152 million km away from the sun, approaching a point called aphelion. The average distance is taken to be 150 million km.
The Earth moves in its orbit from west to east, which corresponds to the “counterclockwise” direction.
It takes the Earth 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds (1 astronomical year) to complete one revolution around the center of the Solar System. But for convenience, a calendar year is usually counted as 365 days, and the remaining time is “accumulated” and adds one day to each leap year.
The orbital distance is 942 million km. Based on calculations, the speed of the Earth is 30 km per second or 107,000 km/h. For people it remains invisible, since all people and objects move the same way in the coordinate system. And yet it is very big. For example, the highest speed of a racing car is 300 km/h, which is 365 times slower than the speed of the Earth rushing along its orbit.
However, the value of 30 km/s is not constant due to the fact that the orbit is an ellipse. The speed of our planet fluctuates somewhat throughout the journey. The greatest difference is achieved when passing the perihelion and aphelion points and is 1 km/s. That is, the accepted speed of 30 km/s is average.
Axial rotation
The earth's axis is a conventional line that can be drawn from the north to the south pole. It passes at an angle of 66°33 relative to the plane of our planet. One revolution occurs in 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds, this time is designated by the sidereal day.
The main result of axial rotation is the change of day and night on the planet. In addition, due to this movement:
- The earth has a shape with oblate poles;
- bodies (river flows, wind) moving in a horizontal plane shift slightly (in the Southern Hemisphere - to the left, in the Northern Hemisphere - to the right).
The speed of axial movement in different areas differs significantly. The highest at the equator is 465 m/s or 1674 km/h, it is called linear. This is the speed, for example, in the capital of Ecuador. In areas north or south of the equator, the rotation speed decreases. For example, in Moscow it is almost 2 times lower. These speeds are called angular, their indicator becomes smaller as they approach the poles. At the poles themselves, the speed is zero, that is, the poles are the only parts of the planet that are without movement relative to the axis.
It is the location of the axis at a certain angle that determines the change of seasons. Being in this position, different areas of the planet receive unequal amounts of heat at different times. If our planet was located strictly vertically relative to the Sun, then there would be no seasons at all, since the northern latitudes illuminated by the luminary during the daytime received the same amount of heat and light as the southern latitudes.
The following factors influence axial rotation:
- seasonal changes (precipitation, atmospheric movement);
- tidal waves against the direction of axial movement.
These factors slow down the planet, as a result of which its speed decreases. The rate of this decrease is very small, only 1 second in 40,000 years; however, over 1 billion years, the day has lengthened from 17 to 24 hours.
The movement of the Earth continues to be studied to this day.. This data helps to compile more accurate star maps, as well as determine the connection of this movement with natural processes on our planet.