Does anyone know the exact rotational period?
2007-11-05 10:28:05 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It depends on how you define a rotation of the earth. A "sideral day" is the time that it takes the earth to rotate 360 degrees. A "solar day" is how long it takes for the same place on the earth to directly face the sun again. The two aren't the same because as the earth spins on its axis, it's also moving along in its orbit around the sun.
Wikipedia at the link below has a good picture that illustrates this difference and has time values for the various definitions of a rotation.
2007-11-05 10:37:50 · answer #1 · answered by ansrdog 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The exact rotational period of earth is the sidereal day is, simply put, the time needed for Earth to complete one rotation around its axis, relative to the stars.
pl0.997270 days (23.93447 hours or 86,164 seconds)
2007-11-05 13:35:50 · answer #2 · answered by TicToc.... 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I do.
Oh, you mean you want to know. Well, it depends on which rotational period you mean.
The sidereal day (the Earth's rotational period with respect to the stars) is 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.09 seconds.
The solar day (the Earth's rotational period with respect to the sun) is 24 hours.
2007-11-05 10:57:02 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It relies upon on the kind you degree the day. A image voltaic day is the time based on the solar and is measured from midday to midday and it extremely is 24 hours long A sidereal day is time based on the celebs and is measured whilst a megastar reaches its optimal element contained in the sky (apex) to apex. on the present time is 23 hours, fifty six minutes (and a unusual form of seconds) long the rationalization for the version is using the fact Earth strikes in an orbit. the celebs are so distant that the orbital flow isn't major. regardless of if, the solar is close adequate that the flow ability that it takes only somewhat longer for the solar to attain midday
2016-09-28 10:02:17 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Three different periods. From the stars' point of view, 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds, from the Sun's, 24 hours by definition, and from the Moon, something else i can't remember.
2007-11-05 10:33:29 · answer #5 · answered by grayure 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds
2007-11-05 10:30:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
one rotation like just a 360 is a day and a whole circle around the sun is a year which is 365 days except on leap year then its 366 days
2007-11-05 10:31:04 · answer #7 · answered by ~Super_Ginger~ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
23 hours 56 minutes and 4.099 seconds
2007-11-05 10:31:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
23 hours and 56 minutes
it's just rounded to 24hours because its easier :]
2007-11-05 10:31:19 · answer #9 · answered by Kali (: 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's exactly the time between sunrises on the equinox.
2007-11-05 10:31:30 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋