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Is the earth moving closer to the sun?

  • 15-01-2012 1:19am
    #1
    zyxwvu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 96 ✭✭


    Is the earth gradually moving closer to (or further away from) the sun? I'm guessing if it is then the number of days in a year on earth would decrease/increase? I was just wondering about this after reading this short piece about the devonian geological period about 400 million years ago;
    "Growth rings from corals living during the Devonian period have provided evidence that there were more than 365 days in the year back then - about 404 at the start of the period, falling to 396 by the end."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/history_of_the_earth/Devonian

    This made me then wonder; do the estimates scientists use to describe the age of the universe, or the earth, take into account that the length of a year on earth has not always been what it is now?


Comments

  • #2
    AugustusMinimus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭AugustusMinimus


    zyxwvu wrote: »
    This made me then wonder; do the estimates scientists use to describe the age of the universe, or the earth, take into account that the length of a year on earth has not always been what it is now?

    When scientists say "year" they usually mean present earth years, being either 365 or 366 days.

    Strictly speaking, scientists would come up with a figure based in seconds, as seconds are the SI unit for time.


  • #3
    Cú Giobach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,772 ✭✭✭Cú Giobach


    zyxwvu wrote: »
    Is the earth gradually moving closer to (or further away from) the sun? I'm guessing if it is then the number of days in a year on earth would decrease/increase? I was just wondering about this after reading this short piece about the devonian geological period about 400 million years ago;
    "Growth rings from corals living during the Devonian period have provided evidence that there were more than 365 days in the year back then - about 404 at the start of the period, falling to 396 by the end."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/history_of_the_earth/Devonian

    This made me then wonder; do the estimates scientists use to describe the age of the universe, or the earth, take into account that the length of a year on earth has not always been what it is now?
    The Earth used to spin faster and is gradually slowing due to tidal interactions with the moon, the days were shorter hence there were more days per year, it's not because of a difference in the length of the year.


  • #4
    Nothingbetter2d
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,037 ✭✭✭Nothingbetter2d


    zyxwvu wrote: »
    Is the earth gradually moving closer to (or further away from) the sun? I'm guessing if it is then the number of days in a year on earth would decrease/increase? I was just wondering about this after reading this short piece about the devonian geological period about 400 million years ago;
    "Growth rings from corals living during the Devonian period have provided evidence that there were more than 365 days in the year back then - about 404 at the start of the period, falling to 396 by the end."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/history_of_the_earth/Devonian

    This made me then wonder; do the estimates scientists use to describe the age of the universe, or the earth, take into account that the length of a year on earth has not always been what it is now?

    you are correct in that a year had more days than it does presently but that is not because earth is moving closer to the sun it was cos a day on earth was shorter, just 18 hours at one point early in earth's history.... earth's rotation is slowing down due to the moon's drag effect. when the moon first formed it was alot closer to earth... over time it moved further out to it present orbit. In a billions years time a day on earth will be longer.


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