Rotation of earth?

Question

If you're looking at the earth from outerspace, does it rotate clockwise or counterclockwise? (not around the sun - but just around.) I've tried doing the research, and haven't gotten anywhere. So please let me know where you found your info, if you can. Thanks.

Answer 1

That depends entirely on where you are viewing the planet from. If you look down on the South Pole, the earth turns clockwise. If you look down on the north pole, it turns anti-clockwise. Putting north at the top of maps is a convention. South could just as easily be at the top.

Answer 2

The Sun rises in the east so the Earth rotates around its own axis towards the east. As seen from the North Pole this is counterclockwise, but as seen from the South Pole this is clockwise.
The Earth's circumference at the equator is about 40000 km or 24900 miles and the Earth rotates once per 24 hours, so the rotation speed at the equator is 40000/24 = 1670 km/h or 24900/24 = 1038 mph.
You don't feel that the Earth rotates because the Earth rotates at a (nearly) constant rate. The whole world has adjusted to that a long time ago, so you don't notice it.

Answer 3

Common sense answers this question:

The sun rises in the East, which means that the Earth's continual rotation toward the sun is a rotation toward the East. If one were to look down upon the North Pole, an eastward rotation becomes a counter-clockwise rotation.

Be careful, because looking at the South Pole would be a clockwise rotation.

Answer 4

The answers above are correct.

If you are good at visualization, you can view the Earth as if you were in outer space by using Google Earth.

Fly to 90s, 90e which will take you to the South Pole. The program will take you too close to the surface, so you will have to reduce the magnification. so that you may see the whole Earth.

You may do this by use of the vertical slider on the controls.

Then rotate the Earth by use of the circular control with "N" at the top. You may rotate it in either direction, but imagine how it would be illuminated by the sun as it rotates.

Repeat the process by flying to 90n, 90e

The longitude coordinate (E,W) isn't important in "flying to" the poles. It may be used to show time. 15 degrees of latitude is equal to one hour.

Answer 5

Looking from above the north pole it's clockwise
But
Looking from below the south pole it's counterclockwise.
Depends on the viewpoint (like some Jedi once said)

That's why there is no answer.
It's like asking if a parenthesis is concave or convex.

Answer 6

If one looks along the Earth's axis from the North Pole, the rotation appears counterclockwise.

Jont is wrong.
Tentofiel. is correct...

Answer 7

Actually, that doesn't really make any sense. The rotation of the Earth can be seen from various perspectives and none is any more compelling than the other.