Can we actually see the Earth moving?

Question

Sometimes when I look at the sky I swear I can see us moving but I'm not sure if it's just the clouds that are moving or if it is the Earth... maybe both? Which is it?

Answer 1

There are many ways to observe earth's rotational motion. Watching the shadow move across the face of a sundial is one.

I assume, though, that you mean the more interesting orbital motion of the earth around the sun.

You could set up a camera to take a snapshot of the sky at midnight every night...

Unimpressed?

OK. There's a satellite that constantly looks back at earth from the Lagrange point (L1?) on the axis between the earth and the sun. I think real-time imagery is available.

You might have to set up special filters and exposures for that specific purpose- but I bet you'd be able to watch as earth occluded one star after another on its yearly journey around the ecliptic...

Answer 2

We can see Earth moving when there is a lunar eclipse! That is the shadow of the Earth cutting the sunlight off from the Moon, so that it goes dark. If you want. you can calculate the distance traveled by the Earth, the width of the shadow (about the same as the width of the Moon, at that point) and then figure how fast the shadow has to be moving in order to have the eclipse start at one time and end at another. That had better be the same speed that the Earth is moving!

(You know, for an alien, I'm surprised that you didn't already know this; you've visited so many different solar systems before....) Enjoy your calculations!

Answer 3

You can see if you go to space and stand stationary. When you look from the ground, as you said it is the clouds moving that you see. The other way is to check out the clear sky in the night. You Will see the stars moving, but you need to stare at them for a long time. What really happens is that it's not the stars bu t the earth that is moving.

Answer 4

I believe it is possible to see the sky rotate over your head if you lie on the ground and look up. I have done this and I think it is real. Of course the movement is very slow but it is not zero. I believe one can see the movement for two reasons. First, it is easy to observe the sun or moon rise and set, and this movement is fairly obvious to any observer, so why couldn't the same apply to the whole sky, which is rotating at the same rate? Secondly, I have observed clocks that "jump" through each second, I mean the second hand jumps from second to second, with the other hands connected directly to the second hand through 60-fold gear ratios. Interestingly, you can see the minute hand "jump" with every second, and if you really pay attention, you can just barely see the hour hand jump slightly each second, even though its "jump" is only 1/3600th as large as what the second hand is doing. This means that you are actually seeing the hour hand move, despite the fact that it takes twelve hours to make one complete revolution. And if you can see an hour hand move, then why not the sky, even though it is moving only half as fast? I think you CAN see it move.

Answer 5

If you look at a star, planet, or the moon in a decent sized telescope without tracking abilities, you will find the object moves out of the field of view fairly quickly enough to be observed. This is the rotation of the Earth.

Answer 6

nicely, it relies upon on how *lots* quicker. only a small develop and little of any result would take place. previous a definite develop in velocity, although, and the circle Earth follows around the sunlight ought to alter into so super that we would be so a procedures from the sunlight that Earth would substitute into lots like Mars; so chilly that life right here would substitute into extinct or on the least threatened. If our velocity by using area grew to alter into particularly, particularly rapid that's completely possible that Earth would circulate away the photograph voltaic equipment altogether.

Answer 7

i dont think that you can see the earth move as you are on the earth itself. so what you see is everything else around you move. a good example is the sun, which we all know is stationary, but we see it makes its path across the sky everyday like it is moving.

Answer 8

hah i know a cool way you can see the earths motion, a telescope, don't move it just point it at a star and let go. you'll see it move.

Answer 9

clouds moving

Answer 10

u can c by the looking at the sun hr by hr