The B12 (XII) Forum, home of the 'Front Porch, y'all' at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Thats really funny Drew

unfortunately this has already been answered
but thanks for playing

Don't mind him, bwarbiany.  He's been stuck in a recliner for the last 20 years.

Don't mind him, bwarbiany.  He's been stuck in a recliner for the last 20 years.

Man, it's a tough crowd when crotchety old farts like T95 are making fun of you for being old.

Dont worry utee I'll dance on his grave

You're gonna have to get up first.

not yet, but I've been busy

Why do people say planets rotate counter clockwise around the sun?  Can somebody please explain that to me?

You see... I am of the opinion that counter clockwise is only counter clockwise because of our point of view.

If a dog on the ground starts going counter clockwise around a tree, it's because we're see it from above ground.  If we were underground, watching that same dog circle that same tree and could somehow see through the dirt it would look clockwise.

If a clock on the wall suddenly started going backwards, it would look counter clockwise but only from our side of the wall.  On the other side of the wall, if we could see through it, it would look clockwise.

Planets aren't even up against a wall or on the ground.  They are a sphere in orbit around another sphere.  If you go to the opposite side of where it looks like they're going counter clockwise, they would be going clockwise.   Direction is relative.

Why do people say they're going counter clockwise?

And why do we accept it like it's the gospel.

I've actually never heard anyone say that planets rotate in a CCW orbit around the sun.  Because of precisely the reason Slick states.

However, if such a thing were said, then I'd imagine the astronomers have decided on some agreed-upon, fixed point of reference.  One might venture that such an agreed-upon point of reference might have to do with the sun's magnetic field and magnetic poles, but those reverse every 11 years, so then again, probably not.  Anyway, if we agree upon a fixed point of reference in space, even an arbitrary one, then we can define the direction of the orbits of the planet.

Or maybe not.