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Published 16:33 IST, January 8th 2024

Earth's Rotation Day: History and Significance of this day

Earth's Rotation Day is observed every year on January 8. On this day aim is to making people aware of Leon Foucault’s discovery of the earth’s rotation.

Reported by: Navya Dubey
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 Earth's Rotation Day is observed on janurary 8.
Earth's Rotation Day is observed on janurary 8. | Image: unsplash

Earth’s Rotation Day is marked every year on January 8th with the aim of making people aware of Leon Foucault’s discovery of the earth’s rotation. Earth's Rotation Day 2024 marks 173 years since French physicist Leon Foucault demonstrated that our planet rotates on its axis in 1851. The Earth takes 24 hours to complete a rotation with respect to the sun. These rotations cause the different seasons of the year and give rise today and night. Earth’s rotation is directly related to the sun's movement. Earth tends to move away from the sun in the direction of the tangent due to its constant revolutions around the sun, causing a rotational force to act upon it. This causes the earth to rotate around its own axis. 

History of World Rotation Day:

The earliest historical roots can be dated back to 470 BC, when the Greeks claimed that the earth rotated around the sun on its back. Later, physician Leon Foucault demonstrated the earth’s rotation with the use of a pendulum in 1851. Later, this experimentation was displayed at the Pantheon Greece and the Paris observatory and was given priority over other experiments that were carried out to reveal how the earth rotates around its axis. Earth’s Rotation Day is celebrated in honor of Leon Foucault’s experiment. 

Significance of World's Rotation Day: 

This day holds significant importance as people become more aware of Leon Foucault’s discovery with the help of a live demonstration, which helped simplify the process of Earth’s very reason to rotate. Even young adults can learn more about this phenomenon by reading more about it and celebrating how it works. 

Updated 16:33 IST, January 8th 2024