• What is the translation of the Earth?
• Consequences of the translational movement
• Translation velocity of the Earth
• Rotation of the Earth

We explain what the translation of the Earth is and the consequences of this movement. The speed it reaches and the rotation of the Earth.

The translation movement reaches a distance of 930 million kilometers.

What is the translation of the Earth?

The translation of the Earth It is one of the movements that the planet makes and consists of going around the Sun. It takes 365 days and 6 hours to complete the journey. Every four years, those hours are added together and give a total of 24 hours. That is the reason why, every four years, we have a leap year in our calendar, in which the month of February has one more day.

The movement translation occurs in the orbit terrestrial and reaches a route of 930 million kilometers. Although the average distance between the Earth and the Sun is 150 million kilometers, the ellipse or oval orbit means that, in some sections, the Earth is closer to the Sun and in others, further away. These distances cause climatic differences on the planet that give rise to the seasons of the year.

Consequences of the translational movement

The variations of the Earth with respect to its distance from the Sun produce the seasons.

The two main consequences of the translational motion of the Earth are:

• The succession of the seasons of the year. The solar energy heats the surface of the planet with different intensity, depending on the inclination of the Earth's axis. Therefore, during the translational motion, when the Earth is farthest from the star Luminous rays impact directly and with greater energy intensity. On the other hand, when the Earth is close to the Sun the rays are projected in a curve, which causes a loss in the intensity of the energy. Those variations produce different temperatures that give rise to the four seasons of the year:
  • Spring. The season begins with the equinox spring, between March 20 and 21 in the northern hemisphere, and between September 22 and 23 in the southern hemisphere.
  • Summer. It is the hottest season and it begins with the solstice summer, June 21 in the northern hemisphere and December 21 in the southern hemisphere.
  • Fall. It begins in the northern hemisphere with the autumnal equinox, around September 23 in the northern hemisphere and on March 21 in the southern hemisphere.
  • Winter. It is the coldest season that begins with the winter solstice, between December 20 and 23 for the northern hemisphere, and between June 20 and 23 for the southern hemisphere.

In the equatorial regions the weather it is tropical throughout the year because the sun's rays are projected directly, without too many alterations. There are only two seasons that are differentiated by the intensity of the rains: the dry season and the rainy season.

• The duration of the day and night. Although the movement of the Earth's rotation produces day and night, it is the translational movement of the Earth that determines that the days are longer and the nights shorter or vice versa, depending on the season of the year (that is, , the distance the planet is from the Sun).

Translation velocity of the Earth

Because the Earth moves on its orbit which is elliptical, the speed of the translational movement is not constant, it has a slight variation. The approximate travel speed is estimated to be 107,000 kilometers per hour. We do not feel it because of the force of gravity of the Earth, which attracts like a magnet to everything that is on the land surface.

Rotation of the Earth

The axis of the Earth has an angle of inclination of 24 ° with respect to Earth's orbit.

Rotational motion occurs when a body, like planet Earth, rotates on its own axis, which remains fixed. On the other hand, the translational movement is the movement that a celestial body makes when it rotates in its orbit around the Sun.

The axis of the Earth is an imaginary line that is not straight but has an angle of inclination of 24 ° with respect to the Earth's orbit. This inclination causes the sun's rays to impact with different intensity in the northern hemisphere compared to the southern hemisphere.