Earth Rotation from Galileo Imagery: 3600 x Real-Time

This animation is one in a series created to show an accurate representation of the Earths rotation at different temporal resolutions. The animation is created from images taken by the Galileo spacecraft during a close pass of the Earth on December 11-12, 1990. The animations range from real-time, in which no rotation can be perceived, to 3600 times real-time, in which both the Earths rotation and cloud motion can bee seen. The series also includes an animation in which the Earths rotation has been halted so that cloud motion is easier to see and an animation showing the specific amount of rotation that takes place in three minutes. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division, Graduate or professional