Spinning
Earth spins once every 24 hours. This gives us day and night. The side facing the Sun has day; the other side has night.
Orbiting
Earth takes 365¼ days to go around the Sun once — that's one year.
Tilt
Earth is tilted at 23.5°. This tilt is what gives us seasons!
🔑 Key Terms
- Axis
- The imaginary line Earth spins around.
- Orbit
- Earth's path around the Sun.
Did you know?
Earth doesn't actually take exactly 365 days — that extra quarter day is why we have a leap year every 4 years!
Try it at home: Torch and ball
- Stick a sticker on a ball — that's you.
- Shine a torch (the Sun) on the ball.
- Spin the ball slowly — your sticker moves into and out of the light. That's day and night!