What Causes a ‘Day’ and How Is It Different from a ‘Year’?

A day is when the Earth spins once, making it light on one side and dark on the other. A year happens when the Earth goes all the way around the Sun, like a big circular trip that takes about 365 days to complete.

Take the quiz →

Examples

Imagine you're spinning around like a top, that’s how Earth moves for a day.
If your bedroom is facing the Sun, it's daytime; if it turns away, it's nighttime.
Going all the way around the Sun in one big loop takes about 365 days, that’s a year.

Ask a question

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Science · Earth,Sun,Rotation,Orbit,Time