In astronomy, a rotation period is the time an astronomical object takes to complete one revolution around its rotation axis. For solid objects, such as rocky planets and asteroids, the rotation period is a single value. For gaseous/fluid bodies, such as stars and gas giant planets, the period of rotation varies from the equator to the poles, called differential rotation. Typically, the stated rotation period for a gas giant (ie, Jupiter) is the internal rotation period, as determined from the rotation of the magnetic field.
Rotation period of selected objects
| Sun
| 24.66 days (equator), about 35 days near the poles
|
| Mercury
| 58.6462 d (58 d 15.5088 h)
|
| Venus
| −243.0185 d
|
| Earth
| 0.997 268 d (23.9344 h) (86 164 s)
|
| Moon
| 27.321 661 d (synchronous)
|
| Mars
| 1.025 957 d (24.622 962 h)
|
| Jupiter
| 0.413 538 021 d (9 h 55 min 29.685 s)
|
| Saturn
| 0.444 009 259 2 d (10 h 39 min 22.400 00 s)
|
| Uranus
| −0.718 333 333 d (17 h 14 min 24.000 00 s)
|
| Neptune
| 0.671 250 00 d (16 h 6 min 36.000 00 s)
|
| Pluto
| −6.387 d (6 d 9 h 17.6 min)
|
See also
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fr:Période de rotation
it:Periodo di rotazione
zh:自轉週期
