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Can You See The Earth Spinning From Space?

raytchle reiss • Feb 07, 2023

Can you see the Earth spinning from space?

Although Earth's rotation is too slow to be seen in real-time, it is possible to observe the effects of its rotation. Without Earth's rotation, there would be no day and night, and it would be impossible to detect the planet's motion during our daily routines. However, it is possible to confirm Earth's rotation from Earth by observing the apparent motion of celestial bodies, particularly when they are close to the horizon and parts of the Earth are visible as a reference point. Even though it is not possible to watch Earth spin in real-time from space due to its slow rotation, time-lapse videos such as NASA's footage from the International Space Station can capture this movement.

NASA released a timelapse video of the Earth spinning.

Can you see the Earth rotating from the ISS?

It is not possible to observe the rotation of the Earth in real-time from space stations because they are moving too quickly around the planet. As a result, the Earth appears to be rotating backward, and their own motion masks the Earth's rotation from casual observation. While it is technically possible to observe the Earth's rotation from the moon, it would not be a perceptible motion, much like how you cannot see the hour hand of a clock moving.

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