OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaHave you noticed that the stars seem to move across the sky during the night? The constellations slowly slide from one side of the sky to the other. But the stars are not really moving. It is actually Earth that is spinning!
Earth spins like a top once every 24 hours. As Earth turns, we face different parts of space. That makes it look like the stars are moving across the sky. Stars rise in the east and set in the west, just like the Sun does. If you watched the sky all night, you would see the constellations slowly drift overhead.
- The North Star barely moves at all because it sits right above Earth’s North Pole.
- If you took a long photo of the night sky, you would see the stars making circles.
- Ancient people watched the stars move to tell time at night!
