Changing Earth's Orbit: How Has the Speed Around the Sun Evolved?

In summary, the Earth takes approximately 365 days to orbit the sun, and the physics of the universe are constantly changing. It is plausible that the Earth's orbit may have been shorter or longer a billion, 5 billion, or 10 billion years ago. Studies and evidence suggest that the Earth's orbit has changed over time, but not significantly enough to contribute to observed global warming. Possible causes of these changes include tidal braking and the expansion of the universe, but the exact impact of these factors is still being studied.
  • #1
Juswannaknow
2
0
I understand that the Earth takes 365 days (give or take) to orbit the sun. I also understand that the physics of the universe are in continual flux (expanding universe, cooling suns, etc).

Question: Is it plausible to assume that the Earth took a shorter/longer time to orbit the sun a billion (5 billion, 10 billion) years ago? If so, is there any studies or evidence indicating the rate of change?
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
With a little help from google I got:

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After the formation of the solar system (-4.5 Byr) the Earth orbit was at 1.38E08 km (presently 1.50E08 km) and the Earth period was 0.89 years. In the future (+4.5Byr), they are predicted to be 1.64E08 km and 1.15 yr. At -4.5 Byr, present temperatures of -50, zero, and + 50 C were higher at -40.5, 11.7, and 63.9 C, respectively. It is predicted that in +4.5 Byr, these temperatures will have decreased to -60.0, -12.2, and 35.5 C. In the past million years, the present -50, 0, and +50 C temperatures were about 0.03C higher, and will be about 0.03 C lower in another million years. These results indicate that temperature changes due to solar-Earth orbital interactions do not significantly contribute to the observed Earth global warming observations.

Above is from:

American Geophysical Union - 2007 Fall Meeting
Earth Orbit, Period, and Temperature - Past and Future
(Abstract)

Presentation:
10–14 December 2007
Ingo H. Leubner Rochester
Institute for fundamental Research
 
  • #3
So, causes of change in Earth-Sun distance:

- expanding universe: no
- tidal braking: yes
 
  • #5
Hmmm.. thank you very much! I had the impression that the changes would be much greater.
 

1. What is the speed of Earth around the sun?

The speed of Earth around the sun is approximately 67,000 miles per hour or 107,000 kilometers per hour. This speed is known as Earth's orbital velocity, and it is the result of the combined forces of gravity and inertia.

2. Why does the Earth move at a constant speed around the sun?

Earth moves at a constant speed around the sun because of the law of inertia. This law states that an object in motion will continue moving at a constant speed and in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, the external force is the gravitational pull of the sun, which keeps Earth in its orbit at a constant speed.

3. How does Earth's orbital speed affect seasons?

The speed of Earth's orbit around the sun does not directly affect the seasons. Instead, it is the tilt of Earth's axis that causes the change in seasons. However, the orbital speed does play a role in the length of each season. Since Earth travels faster in its orbit when it is closer to the sun, the seasons that occur during this time, such as summer, tend to be shorter.

4. Does Earth's speed around the sun ever change?

Yes, the speed of Earth's orbit around the sun is not constant. It varies slightly throughout the year due to the elliptical shape of Earth's orbit. When Earth is closer to the sun, it travels faster, and when it is farther away, it travels slower. However, these changes in speed are very small and do not significantly impact Earth's overall orbital velocity.

5. How is the speed of Earth around the sun measured?

The speed of Earth's orbit around the sun is measured using astronomical units (AU) or kilometers per second (km/s). One AU is equal to the average distance between Earth and the sun, which is about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. By dividing the distance traveled by Earth in one orbit by the time it takes to complete that orbit, we can calculate the speed at which Earth is moving around the sun.

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