From a viewpoint above the North Pole, which direction does Earth orbit the Sun?

From a viewpoint above the North Pole, which direction does Earth orbit the Sun?

• A. Clockwise
• B. Counterclockwise
• C. Straight
• D. Backward

Answer: (B)

From above the North Pole, Earth moves around the Sun in a counterclockwise direction. This happens because the solar system formed from a rotating disk, so planets inherit a forward (eastward) motion and travel in prograde orbits. When you view the plane of the solar system from the north, that forward motion appears as a counterclockwise loop around the Sun. The other directions would not match how gravity ships bodies in stable orbital paths.

From above the North Pole, Earth moves around the Sun in a counterclockwise direction. This happens because the solar system formed from a rotating disk, so planets inherit a forward (eastward) motion and travel in prograde orbits. When you view the plane of the solar system from the north, that forward motion appears as a counterclockwise loop around the Sun. The other directions would not match how gravity ships bodies in stable orbital paths.