How fast does Earth spin?

Earth from spaceEarth in full view from Apollo 17, December 7, 1972. The Apollo 17 crew caught this breathtaking view of Earth as they were traveling to the Moon. This was the first time astronauts could photograph the South polar ice cap. Nearly the entire coastline of Africa is clearly visible, along with the Arabian Peninsula.

Earth spins at a velocity of about 1,674 kilometers (1,040 miles) per hour at the Equator. The speed at which Earth spins varies depending on the latitude. To find the velocity at any given latitude, one multiplies the equatorial speed by the cosine of the latitude. This means that the farther away from the Equator, the slower Earth’s surface moves. The rotation speed decreases towards the poles, where it becomes zero.

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Citation Information
Article Title: How fast does Earth spin?
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 05 November 2026
Access Date: November 14, 2026