# Why wouldn't the part of the Earth facing the Sun a half year before be facing away from it now at noon? Tags: astrophysics, everyday-life, earth, rotation, sun - Score: 40 - Views: 10001 - Answers: 3 - Answered: yes - Asked by: O S (555 rep) - Asked: 2016-12-22 - Edited: 2016-12-22 - Site: physics ## Question The Earth takes 24 hours to spin around its own axis and 365 days to spin around the Sun. So in approximately half a year the Earth will have spun around its axis 182.5 times. Now take a look at the following picture: Assuming that the Earth is in the position on the left is, say, on 1st of Jan. 2017 and in the position on the right, half year after. The Earth will be roughly on the opposite side of the Sun given that half a year passed, is that correct? If at noon, half a year earlier, that part of the Earth was facing the Sun, then why wouldn't the opposite part of the Earth be facing the Sun now, after 182 complete rotations and the Earth being on the opposite side of the Sun? We expect the noon-time to occur on the dark side instead of the lighted side. Shouldn't this cause the AM/PM to switch, the rotations made are consistent with 182 passing days. Assuming it