Atmosphere Contents

3. Energy Variation

Precession of the Earth's axis of rotation

Through obliquity, the Earth's axis of rotation is tilted, but the Earth is not always tilted in one direction. Precession is the spinning (change of direction) of the Earth's titled axis of rotation. As can be seen in the animation, the red line represents the circle created by the spinning of the Earth's titled axis of rotation. It takes approximately 23,000 years to complete this circle.

What is precession?