Does the axis of earth move at a constant rate?

Question

this is in regard to the mayan calender. unless the axis moves very consistently I don't see how it could be accurate?

Answer 1

Precession. 25,800 years. Exactly 5 "long cycles" of the Mayan calendar. Present "long cycle" was, on purpose, set up to finish when the Sun's winter solstice position put it at the closest to the direction of the Galactic Centre. The same alignment will occur in another 5 long count. Be there.

Answer 2

Precession is close to constant, but not exactly. It's caused by the gravity of the Sun, Moon, planets, asteroids, etc. Since the orbits of those things never exactly repeat, precession does not have a constant rate, or repeat.

Nevertheless, we can still predict the time for one cycle (about 26,000 years -- I don't have the exact number right now), plus or minus a day or two. During some parts of the cycle, the axis moves faster than other times. So if somebody drew a star map 2600 years ago, and you compared it with the stars today, you would not get exactly 1/10 of a cycle.

Answer 3

If you're talking about the precession of the axis, then yes it does. It completes one cycle every 26,000 years.

Don't believe any wild claims about the Mayan calendar. That's woo woo stuff.

Answer 4

Actually the rotation of the Earth has been slowly slowing since the beginning of time, but so little that it will take billions of years for it to slow down enough to know. By that time the Sun will have gone out so it's pretty useless to know.

Answer 5

different speeds