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It depends. Earth has both sidereal and solar days. Earth's sidereal day is about 23 hours and 56 minutes. This is the time it takes Earth to spin on its axis. For the Sun to appear at the same place in the sky (solar day) it takes about four more minutes. So it all depends on what you are asking: the time it takes Earth to spin on its axis or the time it takes the Sun to appear at the same place in the sky (noon to noon).
The reason there is a difference is because the Earth is rotating about its axis at the same time it is orbiting the Sun. When it has made a full rotation, it still has to turn further to line up with the Sun which is now slightly east of where it was the day before, as the Earth moves around its orbit, about a degree per day.
Actually, there's some natural variation in the length of the solar day. So, for our clocks, we use "mean solar time" which averages out the differences, giving us the solar day of exactly 24 hours.
Incidentally, you often see the rotation times and orbit times of other planets given in "Earth days". In this case it's usually the Earth's solar day that's meant, but not always.
What else can I help you with?
Which is used for our clocks Sidereal or solar day?
Solar day is typically used for our clocks and calendars, as it is based on the Earth's rotation relative to the sun. Sidereal day, on the other hand, is based on the Earth's rotation relative to distant stars.
What is the length of day of the planet Venus?
It is about 117 Earth days (for the "solar day") or 243 Earth days (for the "sidereal day").
Length of Venus day?
243 days on earth
What is longer a sidereal day or solar day?
a solar day
How many hours on mercury in a day?
A mercury day (sidereal rotation period) is 58.646 earth days = 1407.5 hours.
How a solar day is differ from a sidereal day?
A solar day is 24 hours whereas a sidereal day is 23 hours and 56 minutes
How is a solar day different from a sidereal day?
A solar day is 24 hours whereas a sidereal day is 23 hours and 56 minutes
Is a sidereal day longer or shorter than a solar day?
The Sun crosses the meridian (the imaginaryline in the sky from due north to due south and passing directly overhead) at solar noon. The period between two successive solar noons is a "solar day". When you reckon the period of time between two successive meridian transits of a distant star, or the vernal equinox, that is a "sidereal day". In simple terms the sidereal day is the rotation period of a planet.
What planet has the second shortest day?
Mercury has the 2nd longest "sidereal day" with a sidereal rotation period of 58.646 Earth days. The longest "sidereal day" day is Venus, with a sidereal rotation period of 243.018 Earth daysIf you use the "solar day" as your definition of "day", the order is reversed. Mercury then has the longest day and Venus has the second longest day.
How many earth days equal one sidereal day on venus?
The sidereal day is the time it takes for a planet to rotate once. For Venus that's about 243 of our Earth days.
How long is a day and a year in mercury?
Year: 88 Earth days. Rotation period (sidereal day): 58.6 Earth days. Solar day: 176 Earth days.
Why is length of a sidereal day and a solar day on venus so different?
The sidereal day is about 243 Earth days. That is the time for the planet to rotate once . The solar day is 117 Earth days,roughly. That is a big difference. On Earth the difference between these two days is only about 4 minutes. The reason for the big difference on Venus is that Venus rotates very slowly. The solar day depends on the rotation of a planet AND its orbital motion. The slow rotation makes the effect of the orbital motion much greater on the length of the solar day. Incidentally Venus rotates in the opposite direction to Earth. That's why the solar day is shorter than the sidereal day. On Earth it's the other way round.
