Motions of the earth
Chapter: Motions of the Earth
I. Types of Earth's Motion
• The Earth has two primary types of motion: rotation and revolution.
Motion Definition Time Period Result/Significance
About 24 hours (known as the
The movement of the Causes day and
Rotation earthday), representing the
earth on its axis. night.
daily motion of the earth.
The movement of the
Causes the cycle of
Revolution earth around the sun in a 365¼ days (one year).
seasons.
fixed path or orbit.
• Impact of Rotation: If the Earth did not rotate, the portion facing the sun would
experience continuous warmth (day), while the other half would remain in perpetual
darkness and freezing cold, making life impossible in such extreme conditions.
• Ancient Astronomy: The ancient Indian astronomer Aryabhata had stated that the
earth is round and rotates on its own axis.
II. Earth's Axis, Plane, and Illumination
• The axis of the Earth is an imaginary line.
• The axis makes an angle of 66½° with its orbital plane.
• The orbit forms the orbital plane.
• The Earth travels around the sun in an elliptical orbit.
• Due to the Earth's spherical shape, only the half facing the sun receives light (day),
while the portion away from the sun experiences night.
• The Circle of Illumination is the circle that divides day from night on the globe, and it
does not coincide with the axis.
• Throughout its orbit, the Earth is inclined in the same direction, which, along with
revolution, causes seasons.
III. Leap Year Calculation
• The Earth's revolution time is 365 days and six hours (365¼ days).
• For convenience, we count the year as 365 days and ignore the six hours.
• These six hours, saved every year, are accumulated over four years to form one full
day (24 hours).
• This surplus day is added to the month of February.
• A leap year is a year with 366 days (when February has 29 days instead of 28).
IV. Seasonal Cycles
Seasons change due to the revolution of the earth and the inclination of its axis in a fixed
direction.
1. Summer Solstice (21st June)
• The Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun.
• The direct rays of the sun fall on the Tropic of Cancer.
• The Northern Hemisphere experiences summer and has the longest day and
shortest night.
• Places beyond the Arctic Circle experience continuous daylight for about six months.
• The Southern Hemisphere experiences winter with conditions reversed (nights are
longer than days).
• This position is called the Summer Solstice.
2. Winter Solstice (22nd December)
• The South Pole tilts towards the sun.
• The direct rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Capricorn (23½° S).
• A larger portion of the Southern Hemisphere receives light and experiences summer
(longer days and shorter nights).
• The Northern Hemisphere experiences winter (the reverse happens).
• Days are shorter during the winter season.
• This position is called the Winter Solstice.
• Note: Christmas is celebrated in the summer season in Australia.
3. Equinox (21st March and 23rd September)
• The direct rays of the sun fall on the equator.
• Neither of the poles is tilted towards the sun.
• The whole Earth experiences equal days and equal nights. This is called an equinox.
• September 23rd: It is autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the
Southern Hemisphere.
• March 21st: It is spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern
Hemisphere.