Earth is constantly in motion, revolving around the Sun and rotating on its axis.
Rotation: Earth spins on its axis from West to East (counter-clockwise) and takes 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.09 seconds for a complete rotation, causing day and night.
Revolution: Earth revolves around the Sun in a counter-clockwise direction, taking one year to complete one revolution. The Earth's orbit is slightly oval, and the mean distance from the Sun is about 93 million miles.
Earth's orbit around the Sun is elliptical, causing the distance between Earth and the Sun to change.
Perihelion: Earth is closest to the Sun around January 3.
Aphelion: Earth is farthest from the Sun around July 4.
Earth's axis points constantly to the same point (the polar star), causing the latitude at which the Sun’s rays fall vertically to change throughout the year.
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