Earth’s Rotation Day

Earth’s Rotation Day is a significant date for science! We think now everyone knows that the Earth does not stop its rotation around its axis and each complete cycle reaches in 24 hours. It is hard to imagine that once this information simply did not exist. But the world was full of scientists and researchers who were trying to find the truth.

History

January 8, 1851 French physicist, astronomer, mechanic and member of the Paris Academy of Sciences Jean Bernard Leon Foucault managed to prove the daily rotation of the planet. He did this visually by constructing a device from a ball suspended on a steel wire. The researcher shook the ball and watched its trajectory. On the basis of observations about the rotation of the plane, without any reason, Foucault came to the conclusion that the Earth rotates.

Less than a month later, Leon called the academicians to the observatory and demonstrated the discovery. Everyone was delighted with what they saw! This experience was so clear and simple that it was strange that no one had thought of it before. The experiment entered the history of science and confirmed the theory.

Interesting facts

Did you know that the Earth:

• revolves around the Sun not in a circle, but in an ellipse;
• passes through fluctuations under the influence of gravity;
• constantly slows down its rotation. According to some reports, the day on the planet originally consisted of 14 hours, now there are 24. Changes are extremely slow;
• 70% consists of oceans, the remaining 30% is land;
• daily takes on 60 tons of dust from space.

How to celebrate

Find out more information on Earth’s Rotation Day! Study literature, watch documentaries, or talk to a science teacher. Talk to the teacher and thank him for giving knowledge. Find Foucault’s pendulum and see for yourself the experiment that once amazed people.

When is Earth’s Rotation Day celebrated in 2024?

Earth’s Rotation Day is observed on January 8 each year.

Observations