• Question: WHAT MAKES THE EARTH ROTATE?

    Asked by susejdog to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 20 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Damien Hall

      Damien Hall answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      I’ve researched this question, and it looks like the rotation of the Earth (and all the other planets) is a leftover from the Big Bang! The planets were formed from a cloud of gas and dust which, importantly, was not still – it was swirling around. As the gas and dust gradually clumped together to form the planets, that movement continued. It’s now maintained by the gravity of all the other planets and other bodies as they act on Earth (and Earth helps to maintain the rotation of the other planets in the same way). I think!

      There’s more here:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotation_of_the_Earth

    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Hi @susejdog
      As Damien says, it’s due to the way gravity acts on the planet. As the planet goes round the sun, gravity pulls on it in different ways, which causes the planet to spin as well.

      Hope this helps!

Comments

  • Photo: susejdog

    susejdog commented on :

    so you know how you said that the dust and clouds of gas formed the planets and how they are still making the planets spin, well does that mean that new planets could be forming right now? 🙂