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The tangential speed of Earth's rotation at a point on Earth can be approximated by multiplying the speed at the equator by the cosine of the latitude. [42] For example, the Kennedy Space Center is located at latitude 28.59° N, which yields a speed of: cos(28.59°) × 1,674.4 km/h = 1,470.2 km/h.
The Earth's rotation rate is still slowing down, though gradually, by about two thousandths of a second per rotation every 100 years. [1] Estimates of how fast the Earth was rotating in the past vary, because it is not known exactly how the moon was formed. Estimates of the Earth's rotation 500 million years ago are around 20 modern hours per ...
The smallest inclination that a satellite can be launched into is that of the launch site's latitude, so launching the satellite from close to the equator limits the amount of inclination change needed later. [28] Additionally, launching from close to the equator allows the speed of the Earth's rotation to give the satellite a boost.
the Earth's surface Speed Orbital period Specific orbital energy; Earth's own rotation at surface (for comparison— not an orbit) 6,378 km: 0 km: 465.1 m/s (1,674 km/h or 1,040 mph) 23 h 56 min 4.09 sec: −62.6 MJ/kg: Orbiting at Earth's surface (equator) theoretical 6,378 km: 0 km: 7.9 km/s (28,440 km/h or 17,672 mph) 1 h 24 min 18 sec
Global warming has slightly slowed the Earth’s rotation — and it could affect how we measure time. ... the equator — Earth’s waist. ... inner core — a wild card that can either speed or ...
Consequently, the equator has a rather stable daytime temperature throughout the year. On the equinoxes (approximately March 20 and September 23) the subsolar point crosses Earth's equator at a shallow angle, sunlight shines perpendicular to Earth's axis of rotation, and all latitudes have nearly a 12-hour day and 12-hour night. [2]
But after a long trend of slowing, the Earth’s rotation is now speeding up because of changes in its core. For the first time ever, a second will need to be taken off.
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit [a] (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit 35,786 km (22,236 mi) in altitude above Earth's equator, 42,164 km (26,199 mi) in radius from Earth's center, and following the direction of Earth's rotation.