Rotating Events in Our Time
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A lot of people know that the Earth revolves around the sun each day for 24 hours, but they don’t realize that our planet’s rotational speed fluctuates. A day may appear longer or shorter than you would expect. This is why the clocks made of atomic energy that keep a standard time must be periodically adjusted by adding or subtracting seconds. This is known as the leap second. This article will explain how this shift happens, and why it is important to our daily schedules.
One standard rotating event is precession. It is the periodic wobble of Earth’s central axis of rotation, which is like a slightly off-center spinning toy top. The change in axial direction relative to fixed stars (inertial spaces) has a duration of 25,771.5. This is also responsible for the direction of cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere as well as the Southern Hemisphere. Other rotating events include the Chandler wobble free nutation, Polar motion.
The speed of the rotator may be affected by other factors such as weather conditions, earthquakes and other regular events. If the core of the Earth rotates faster, the day appears to be shorter. This change is due to tidal forces acting on the Earth’s surface as well as the gravitational pulls from other large objects in the Solar System such as Jupiter and Saturn. This effect is why the Earth’s speed of rotation must be considered when designing fun park rides like Ferris wheels and carousels.
