Science · 6 pages · 12 min
How a solar day differs from a sidereal day
Noon to noon includes an orbital step past one full spin against the stars.
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From the opening
A solar day is the interval between successive noons, when the Sun crosses the meridian. A sidereal day is the interval between successive meridian crossings of the distant stars, and it is the closer measure of one spin of the Earth. The opening covers noon to noon versus star to star, the extra degree of rotation, and mean sun versus the true sun.
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Inside
- Noon to noon versus star to star
- The extra degree of rotation
- Mean sun versus the true sun
- Why the two clocks diverge
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Solar time and sidereal time
- The orbital step that lengthens the solar day