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The rotation of the earth is the phenomenon that facilitates the day-night cycle. The rotation not only determines the day and night but is also responsible for the seasons and temperature of the earth. It is also responsible for the Coriolis effect i.e. the detection of air currents. A special day is dedicated to recognizing the rotation of the planet on its axis called the Earth’s Rotation Day. The Earth’s Rotation Day is celebrated on 8 January every year to commemorate the discovery of French physicist Leon Foucault in 1851. His “Foucault pendulum” has provided experimental proof of the Earth’s rotation on its axis at an inclination of 23.45 degrees from the plane of its orbit around the Sun. If you want to know about the history, theme, and significance of Earth’s Rotation Day, then stay tuned and keep reading!
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Earth’s Rotation Day 2024: Date
Earth’s Rotation Day is celebrated on 8 January every year. The French physicist Leon Foucault designed a pendulum that proved how planets rotate around their axis in their orbit around the sun.
It takes 24 hours to complete one spin on its axis and it moves 1 degree towards the sun. The Foucault Pendulum demonstrates rotation through simple science as it uses a suspended lead ball with a string attached to it indicating the rotation of the Earth in a day.
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Earth’s Rotation Day 2023: History
It has taken years to discover the phenomenon of the rotation of the earth. In 470 BC, Greeks claimed that the Earth rotated around the sun and many scientists carried out experiments in support of this claim to prove the rotation of the Earth.
The most notable experiment was conducted in 1851 by the French physicist Leon Foucault. He devised a pendulum that demonstrated the phenomenon of rotation of the earth about a fixed axis. The Foucault pendulum is surrounded by pins in a circle. The pendulum knocks the pins one after the other and completes one spin.
The rotation also helps us to witness various constellations due to the positioning at different angles during rotation
What is the Theme of Earth’s Rotation Day 2024?
There is no theme for Earth’s Rotation Day 2024. We observe this day every year on 8 January to mark the significant discovery made by the French physicist that displays the rotation of the Earth.
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Significance
Erath’s Rotation Day is a significant day that marks the epic discovery that reveals how we experience day and night, different seasons and see constellations in the sky. The earth completes one rotation on its axis in 24 hours at an inclination of 23.5 degrees. The rotation is also responsible for determining the length of day and night.
The rotation of the Earth is also responsible for the deflection of air. In the Northern hemisphere the air deflects in a clockwise direction, whereas in the Southern hemisphere, the air deflects in an anticlockwise direction. Thus, rotation is also responsible for THE Coriolis Effect.
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Relevant Blogs
| National Human Trafficking Awareness Day | National Science Fiction Day |
| World Braille Day | International Mind Body Wellness Day |
| Veer Bal Diwas | World Introvert Day |
FAQs
Earth Rotation Day is celebrated on 8 January every year to mark the discovery of the rotation of Earth on its axis every 24 hours. The earth rotates on its axis with an inclination of 23.45 degrees from the plane of its orbit around the Sun.
Yes, the Earth complete a 360-degree spin around its axis in 24 hours every day. The rotation of Earth is responsible for the day-night cycle as well as it also maintains the temperature and humidity on Earth.
As we know planets rotate in an orbit around the sun. Earth takes 23 hours and 56 minutes to complete one rotation on its axis and this time can be rounded up to 24 hours.
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