Why is the Earth always moving but we can't feel it?

(Dan Tri) - Our planet is rushing through space at breakneck speed, but why don't we feel it?

Right now, you are moving through the universe at incredible speeds. As one of all the living creatures on Earth, you are accompanying our planet in constant motion.

The Earth rotates on its axis like a top, completing one revolution in 24 hours at a speed of about 1,670 km/h at the equator. At the same time, our planet also moves around the Sun, taking a year to complete one orbit at an average speed of up to 107,000 km/h.

The Earth's constant rotation makes the stars appear to be moving (Photo: insidewink.).

This is faster than any vehicle you have ever been on. So why don't you get dizzy or fly into space? Why don't you even feel the Earth moving?

Stable movement, no jerks, no crashes

The main reason is that the Earth's motion is very steady and smooth. It has been rotating on its axis and orbiting the Sun at a nearly constant speed for billions of years, without any sudden stops or stops.

Although the speed does change slightly as Earth gets closer to or farther from the Sun in its elliptical orbit, these changes are so gradual and smooth that we cannot perceive them.

The Earth rotates on its axis and takes one day to complete one rotation ( Video : OkraJoe).

Just like when you are sitting in an airplane flying smoothly at cruising altitude, you don't feel the speed because everything inside the plane is moving at the same speed and direction as you.

Likewise, you, your chair, trees, buildings, the ocean, everything is moving with the Earth. Your body cannot perceive the difference in motion unless the Earth suddenly speeds up, slows down, or changes direction, which fortunately doesn't happen.

The Earth rotates in an oval-shaped orbit around the Sun while rotating on a slightly tilted axis (photo: Getty Images Plus).

"Little ants on a giant ball" and lack of landmarks

The Earth is so huge, with a diameter of nearly 13,000 km at the equator, that any movement feels very slow and gentle to our small bodies standing on its surface, like an ant crawling on a very large ball.

Another reason is that there are no nearby “landmarks” in space to serve as reference points. When you drive on the highway, trees and signs pass by, helping your brain register movement. But in space, stars are so far away that they appear to be stationary, even though we are moving relative to them at thousands of miles per hour.

Fortunately, Earth's gravity pulls everything on the surface toward the center, keeping us safely on the ground and not being ejected into space despite moving at high speeds.

Important clues that the Earth is moving come from visible changes in the night sky (photo: Getty Images Plus).

Although not felt, humans have long recognized the Earth's motion by observing the sky:

- Day and night: The Sun appears to rise and set because the Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours.

- Seasons: The Earth is tilted on its axis. As it orbits the Sun, this tilt causes different areas to receive different amounts of sunlight, creating seasons.

- Star movement: At night, stars and constellations appear to move across the sky as the Earth rotates. Their positions also change seasonally because our perspective of the stars changes as the Earth moves in its annual orbit around the Sun.

Satellites and space telescopes have confirmed astronomers' predictions. Even though we can't feel it or see any visible signs of it passing by, the evidence of Earth's motion is everywhere.

The crescent of Earth rising above the lunar horizon, evidence of Earth's motion seen from the Apollo 17 spacecraft (photo: NASA).

Not only the Earth, the Sun also rotates and moves around the center of the Milky Way at a speed of hundreds of thousands of miles per hour.

In reality, nothing in the universe is truly still. Everything is in motion, from planets to stars to galaxies themselves.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/vi-sao-trai-dat-luon-chuyen-dong-nhung-chung-ta-khong-cam-nhan-duoc-20250924032125718.htm