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Which Way Does the Earth Rotate?

Answer – The Earth rotates from west to east.

Explanation: 

Besides completing one revolution around the Sun every 365 days, the Earth also rotates about its own axis every 24 hours at a speed of 1040 miles per hour (1670 kilometers per hour). With respect to distant stars, this time is 23 hours 56 minutes 4.091 seconds.

Much like a top, the Earth spins around an imaginary tilted axis, which runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. The direction of rotation is from west to east, also known as prograde motion. When observed from the North Pole star, this movement appears to be in the counterclockwise direction.

Because of the eastward rotation of the Earth, the Sun, other planets, and astronomical objects appear to move from east to west. This is also why the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

The rotation of the Earth has been slowing by approximately 1.8 milliseconds every 100 years because of the Moon’s tidal effects. However, scientists noticed a sudden increase in the speed of rotation in 2020 but have suggested that it’s a temporary change.


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