Why is the duration of a solar day on Mercury longer, and on Venus less than the periods of axial rotation of these planets?
September 18, 2020 | Education
| Why is the duration of a solar day on Mercury longer, and on Venus less than the periods of axial rotation of these planets? What is the ratio of these values for the Earth?
The direction of the axial and orbital motions of Mercury coincide, while for Venus these motions are opposite. For the Earth, like for Mercury, the directions of the mentioned motions coincide, therefore the solar day on the Earth is longer than the period of its axial rotation.
