The movements of the Earth Rotation Rotation is the movement of the Earth around its axis. This axis is an imaginar y line that runs between the North Pole and the South Pole. Seen from the North Pole, the Earth rotates in an anticlockwise direction . It moves from west to east. This is the reason we have day and night. It takes 24 hours, or one day, to complete one rotation . Revolution is the movement of the Earth around the Sun . It means the Earth orbits the Sun or revolves around the Sun . This path is called the Earth's orbit. It is an ellipse, which is almost a circle. It takes approximately 365 days, or one year, for the Earth to complete one revolution . The equatorial plane and the ecliptic plane form a 23.5º angle. This is because the Earth's axis of rotation is tilted . This tilt and the Earth's revolution cause the seasons. Revolution The equatorial plane is perpendicular to the axis of rotation . It divides the Earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The ecliptic plane is the imaginar y plane that contains the Earth's orbit. Day Axis North Pole Night South Pole Earth's orbit Ecliptic plane Equatorial plane N S 23.5º The Sun's rays 19 1
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