The Earth rotates on its axis, with each successive rotation representing a full day on the planet. According to astronomer Jacco Van Loon, of Keele University, the reason the Earth does not stop spinning is because there is no force to stop it. Compare it to a rotating top and note that because there is little or no friction in space, there is nothing to push it against the blue planet and slow its trajectory.
The Moon is the only celestial body that actively slows down the Earth.
This is because the motion of the side of the Earth facing the moon is completely unbalanced by gravity, and the side of the Earth not facing far from the moon.
According to Mr. Van Loon, this imbalance is the force responsible for ocean tides, which cause oceans to swell on both sides of the Earth.
These waves are constantly pushing against the Earth’s rotation, slowing the planet and lengthening its day by one second every 50,000 years.
Van Loon warned that the only thing that could stop the Earth from spinning was if another planet collided with it.
However, even if this happened, it is more likely that the impact would only change the way the Earth rotates, not stop it completely.
If the planet stopped spinning, there would be many significant changes to life on Earth, assuming we survived the massive planet impact that stopped Earth in its tracks.
Mr. Van Loon emphasized that humans would not be blasted into space due to the strong gravitational pull that keeps humans on Earth and completely humbled on Earth.
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