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The Earth's daily rotation

For an observer located in the Northernhemisphere, for example, in the European part of Russia, the Sun usually ascends in the east and rises to the south, occupying the highest position in the sky at noon, then slopes to the west and disappears behind the horizon line. This movement of the Sun is only visible and is caused by the rotation of the Earth around its axis. If you look at the Earth from above in the direction of the North Pole, it will rotate counterclockwise. The sun is in place, the visibility of its movement is created by the rotation of the Earth.

Annual rotation of the Earth

Around the Sun, the Earth also revolves againstclockwise: if you look at the planet from above, from the North Pole. Since the Earth's axis has a slope with respect to the plane of rotation, as the Earth rotates around the Sun, it illuminates it unevenly. On one area of ​​sunlight falls more, on others - less. Thanks to this, the seasons change and the duration of the day changes.

Spring and Autumnal Equinox

Twice a year, on March 21 and September 23, the Sunequally illuminates the Northern and Southern hemispheres. These moments are known as the spring and autumn equinox. In March in the Northern Hemisphere spring begins, in the Southern - autumn. In September, on the contrary, autumn comes to the Northern Hemisphere, and spring - to the Southern Hemisphere.

Summer and winter solstice

In the Northern Hemisphere on June 22, the Sun is the highestrises above the horizon. The day has the longest duration, and the night on this day is the shortest. The winter solstice occurs on December 22 - the day has the shortest duration, and the night is as long as possible. In the southern hemisphere, everything is reversed.

polar night

Due to the inclination of the earth's axis, the polar and circumpolarthe regions of the Northern Hemisphere in the winter months are without sunlight - the Sun does not rise above the horizon at all. This phenomenon is known as the polar night. A similar polar night exists for the circumpolar regions of the southern hemisphere, the difference between them is exactly six months.

What gives the Earth its rotation around the Sun

Planets can not help but revolve around their luminaries- otherwise they would just be attracted and burned. The uniqueness of the Earth lies in the fact that the slope of its axis at 23.44 o was optimal for the emergence of the entire diversity of life on the planet. It is due to the inclination of the axis that the seasons change, there are different climatic zones that have ensured the diversity of terrestrial flora and fauna. The change in the heating of the earth's surface ensures the movement of air masses, and hence precipitation in the form of rain and snow. The distance from the Earth to the Sun of 149,600,000 km was also optimal. A little further, and the water would be on the Earth only in the form of ice. A little closer, and the temperature would be too high. The very emergence of life on Earth and the diversity of its forms became possible precisely because of the unique coincidence of so many factors.