Rotation and Orbits - Why we spin
Why we spin
All the planets in the solar system rotate on their axisAn imaginary straight line around which an object, like a planet, spins or turns. Earth's axis is a line that goes through the North and South Poles.. A planet's axis is an imaginary line drawn through its center from the North to South Pole. The Earth's axis is tilted at a 23.45° angle from vertical. Other planets rotate at different angles. Except for Venus and Uranus, all planets rotate in the same direction that they orbit the Sun—from west to east.
Earth's continuous rotation began as the planet was formed, an estimated 4.6 billion years ago. The solar system formed from clouds of dust and gases that were spinning around the Sun. When these materials collapsed together they formed a larger and larger object that eventually formed a planet. Since these materials were already spinning, they began to...
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