Youll see a label indicating whats known as the fans efficacy. It can show you exactly what constellations of the Zodiac are visible in different months and how the Sun moves through these constellations. You want ceiling fans inside and out to rotate counterclockwise during the warmer. Every planet in our solar system except for Venus and Uranus rotates counter-clockwise as seen from above the North Pole that is to say, from west to east. There is an amazing set of simulations in this page: under the line Coordinates and Motions look for the simulation called Ecliptic (Zodiac) Simulator.
We say aproximately because Earth is tilted and the planets are not "exactly" rotating around the SUN on the ecliptic but very close to it.
If north is "UP" then your body is paralel to the ecliptic so as you look UP and extend your arms east-west, in that plane is aproximately where the ecliptic is located and all planets and Sun and Moon are on or aproximately on the ecliptic. When we rotate a figure of 90 degrees counterclockwise, each point of the given figure has to be changed from (x, y) to (-y, x) and graph the rotated figure. Now imagine you are standing on Earth at the equator lets say in Quito, Ecuador. This iage shows aproximately how our Solar System and our Galaxy are located respectiely. The MilkyWay rotates in the direction in which the arms trail the rotation movement.Īlso keep in mind the solar system's ecliptic plane is not in the same general plane of the Galaxy. Weather it rotates clockwise or counter-clockwise it depends on how you could look at it. The nature and pace of the movement remain the same, only the direction changes. Here, the movement starts from the top, heads towards the left, goes down, then proceeds towards the right side, and ends up at the top from where it started. All you see with your naked eyes apart of the Andromeda Galaxy and the two Magellanic Clouds (Southern Hemisphere) are inside the Milky Way. Counterclockwise (abbreviation: CCW) is the stark opposite of the clockwise rotation. James: There are actually several questions here. James Goss Asks: Does the Milky Way rotate and/or revolve clockwise or counterclockwise? Since we rotate around our Sun, which way are the overhead skies rotating? I somewhat understand the Ecliptic, but I'm trying to get a conceptual idea of motion that is, as an observer on Earth, how should I think about-or orient myself to think about-which direction all these spheres and constellations are going in?