Earth revolves around its own axis in approximately 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds. If we measure the length of a day by 24 hours we hour saving 180+56=234 seconds a day. In a year that is 234 * 365 = 85, 410 seconds. In 4 years that is 341,640 seconds. Now a say has 86400 seconds, so we are the end of 4 year we have 341,640/86400 = 3.95 days. But we add 1 day to February after 4 years. Why is this?
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Let’s say you start on the earth pointed directly at the sun. After 23 hrs 56mins and 4 secs the earth turns a full 360 degrees but it’s also orbiting the Sun at the same time. As a result the location of the sun relative to the earth has changed and the earth needs to turn a little extra for you to be pointing directly at the sun again.
Think about one year. You are short 85,410 seconds or 23.725 hours. Basically you are short one day.
But now think about what happens when Earth revolves around the sun. Once it gets halfway around the sun if you are counting to the same 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds then the side of Earth the sun is on is reversed and what was midnight before is now high noon! Instead if you count to 24 hours then it stays synchronized such that you have accumulated an offset of half a day once Earth is halfway around the sun, and midnight is still at night. The same offset occurs on the second half of the revolution which explains that missing day.
Now look at that remaining .725 hours. Basically you are short about a quarter of an hour every day. After four years you will need to add a day back!
Think about one year. You are short 85,410 seconds or 23.725 hours. Basically you are short one day.
But now think about what happens when Earth revolves around the sun. Once it gets halfway around the sun if you are counting to the same 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds then the side of Earth the sun is on is reversed and what was midnight before is now high noon! Instead if you count to 24 hours then it stays synchronized such that you have accumulated an offset of half a day once Earth is halfway around the sun, and midnight is still at night. The same offset occurs on the second half of the revolution which explains that missing day.
Now look at that remaining .725 hours. Basically you are short about a quarter of an hour every day. After four years you will need to add a day back!
Think about one year. You are short 85,410 seconds or 23.725 hours. Basically you are short one day.
But now think about what happens when Earth revolves around the sun. Once it gets halfway around the sun if you are counting to the same 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds then the side of Earth the sun is on is reversed and what was midnight before is now high noon! Instead if you count to 24 hours then it stays synchronized such that you have accumulated an offset of half a day once Earth is halfway around the sun, and midnight is still at night. The same offset occurs on the second half of the revolution which explains that missing day.
Now look at that remaining .725 hours. Basically you are short about a quarter of an hour every day. After four years you will need to add a day back!
The earth rotates around its own axis in 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds *relative to other stars*. Relative to the sun, it rotates in 24 hours. This is because, while it’s orbiting the sun, it’s completing one extra rotation relative to the sun
To demonstrate this for yourself, hold an object in front of you with both hands and turn around 360° while preserving the object’s rotation relative to the room you’re in. Notice how the object rotates from your perspective
I’m not good at ELI5, but this Wikipedia page explains it well: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_rotation
The earth rotates around its own axis in 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds *relative to other stars*. Relative to the sun, it rotates in 24 hours. This is because, while it’s orbiting the sun, it’s completing one extra rotation relative to the sun
To demonstrate this for yourself, hold an object in front of you with both hands and turn around 360° while preserving the object’s rotation relative to the room you’re in. Notice how the object rotates from your perspective
I’m not good at ELI5, but this Wikipedia page explains it well: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_rotation
The earth rotates around its own axis in 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds *relative to other stars*. Relative to the sun, it rotates in 24 hours. This is because, while it’s orbiting the sun, it’s completing one extra rotation relative to the sun
To demonstrate this for yourself, hold an object in front of you with both hands and turn around 360° while preserving the object’s rotation relative to the room you’re in. Notice how the object rotates from your perspective
I’m not good at ELI5, but this Wikipedia page explains it well: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_rotation
At the same time we are revolving around The sun. So in 23h 56mins we have revolved around our own axis but actually to have sun at same spot we need to revolve slightly more, since we have revolved 1/365 around the sun.
At the same time we are revolving around The sun. So in 23h 56mins we have revolved around our own axis but actually to have sun at same spot we need to revolve slightly more, since we have revolved 1/365 around the sun.
At the same time we are revolving around The sun. So in 23h 56mins we have revolved around our own axis but actually to have sun at same spot we need to revolve slightly more, since we have revolved 1/365 around the sun.
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