• Question: If the earth really revolves around the sun, then why when we look at the sun we can see it plainly revolving around the earth? (And if the earth was moving around the sun, wouldn't we all fly off into space?)

    Asked by charlie13 to David, Luna, Probash on 25 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: David Pyle

      David Pyle answered on 25 Mar 2011:


      Earth is held in orbit by the Sun’s gravity. Earth spins on its axis (daily) and moves round the sun (yearly). But the sun also rotates – it takes about 27 days. Most planetary bodies rotate because of the angular momentum they started with when they formed from the solar nebular disk.

Comments