Earth Rotation

Spinning Earth
Credit: Wikiscient

The Earth is always spinning on its axis. It takes 24 hours to spin around once, so it rotates once a day. The Earth spins at over 1,500 km an hour! That's more than 4 times faster than a Formula 1 car racing at top speed! 

It is always daytime on the side of the Earth facing the Sun, and night on the side facing away from the Sun. Everywhere on Earth experiences night and day at some point during 24 hours because the Earth spins.

We experience sunrise and sunset because the Earth is rotating. The Sun appears to move across the sky because the Earth is spinning. The Earth rotates from west to east. This is why the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Remember, the Sun always stays where it is in the centre of our Solar System!

Use our movies to see changes in the sky as the Earth rotates.