Why do celestial bodies appear to move from east to west across the sky?

Answer 1

Stars, planets, moons, and various other bodies in space are collectively called celestial bodies. The stars, like the sun, appear to move from east to west. This apparent movement is due to Earth's rotation on its axis. However, there is one star that appears almost stationary to us. This is the Pole star, named so because it is in the direction of the North Pole. All the stars appear to rotate about a point very close to the Pole star, which appears to be almost stationary. The angle of the Pole star above the horizon gives us our latitude on Earth.

There are several other things going on at the same time:

• The earth revolves about the sun once per year. As it does so, it's inner half faces the sun and sees daylight. Its outer half is in darkness. As it swings around the sun, this dark side points in different directions during the year. In the summer, the dark side points toward the center of the galaxy and the constellation Sagittarius. In the winter, the dark side points away from the center of the galaxy toward the constellation Orion. This is why you see different constellations during different times of the year.
• Finally, the moon and planets have their own independent orbits which results in their paths being a bit different than the background stars. The moon is the easiest to explain, because it just moves around the earth once per month in a direction that makes it appear to go opposite its apparent rising and setting. The planets are a bit more complex, but their locations can be found using any astronomy chart.

Answer 2

The Moon does NOT move from east to west; in fact, the Moon's orbit is from west to East.

The Moon, Sun, and stars _appear_ to move from east to west, because the Earth is SPINNING from west to east, making it LOOK like the celestial bodies are moving from east to west.

Answer 3

They do NOT move east to west. It is the Earth, spinning from west to east, that makes it LOOK like everything else is moving east to west.

The stars are essentially stationary. (Yes, they are all moving, but they are so far away that you cannot, in a human lifetime, notice the difference.) The planets are moving, slowly, in their orbits around the Sun.

But the motion of the Earth, spinning, overrides every other motion.

Answer 4

Because the earth is moving from west to east.

Answer 5

Because the earth turns from west to east, and turns your eyes along with it.

Answer 6

That is because the Earth rotates towards the East.

Answer 7

That is because the Earth rotates in the opposite direction: towards the east.

Answer 8

Both the Sun and the Moon appear to cross the sky from East to West because the Earth is spinning from West to East (counter-clockwise).