OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaDay and night happen because Earth is always spinning like a top! The side of Earth facing the Sun has daytime, and the side facing away from the Sun has nighttime. Earth never stops spinning, so day and night keep taking turns.
Earth spins around once every 24 hours. When your part of Earth faces the Sun, sunlight shines on you and it is daytime. As Earth keeps spinning, your part turns away from the Sun, and it gets dark. That is nighttime! While you are sleeping at night, people on the other side of the world are having their daytime.
- Earth spins at about 1,000 miles per hour, but we cannot feel it because everything moves with us.
- Some places near the North Pole have daylight for 24 hours in summer.
- On the planet Venus, one day lasts longer than one year!
