How long does it take for the Earth to circle the sun?

Question

How long does it take for the Earth to circle the sun?

Answer 1

Bikenbeer got it spot on!

The time it takes for Earth to orbit the sun is:

365.25636042 solar days (that is if you measure a day as noon to noon - i.e. from the sun at highest point to the next time its at highest point)

This is longer than a calendar year because of precession and we measure a calendar year from Spring Equinox to Spring Equinox, which is not quite 360 degrees (it's ~20 mins shorter)

look up solar day and sidereal day on wikipedia

A solar day (noon to noon) is not the same as the Earth turning through 360 degrees

So the number of earth rotations in one orbit is 366.25636042 earth rotations

Answer 2

Earth takes 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes 9.54 seconds to circle the sun.

Answer 3

The true period of the Earth's orbit around the sun is the Sidereal Year, which is the time taken for the Sun to go from conjunction with a fixed star back to conjunction with the same star. The Sidereal Year is 365.25636042 mean solar days or 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes 9.5 seconds.

The calendar approximates to the Tropical Year, which is the period in which the seasons recur. This is about 20 minutes less than the Sidereal Year. The difference is caused by the movement of the Earth's axis (precession) and it is the Sun's position in relation to the Earth's axis which defines the seasons.

Answer 4

three hundred and sixty five and one quarter days.

Answer 5

365.2457883 days.  That extra 1/4 day adds up over 4 years, so we get a 'leap year' every 4 years - an extra day.  

Answer 6

It takes 365.25 days for the earth to revolve around the sun.  Every four years (a leap year) a day is added to the calendar to adjust for the quarter day each year.

Answer 7

The earth circles the sun in 365.24 days. The .24 explanes having a leap year every 4 years and the extra 1 minute added every 100 years.

Answer 8

How technical do we get?--is it a circle? It's important for some things but not for others I guess,but then this is potentially a very technical site. Isn't that' what makes it so informative and interesting? I'm lovinit.

Answer 9

One Year.

That is the definition of a year.

Answer 10

365 days and 6 hours

Answer 11

365 days~ which equals one whole year

Answer 12

Well, it depends on what the time is really.  As the Earth's orbit precesses and is distorted differently by the other planets, a year changes slightly.  There are various definitions of year: a mutable 'astronomical' year, a regularised calendar year, a year with all the leaping adjustments, etc.  'A year' is not a very precise or well-defined answer, but it is as good as you can get really with the amount of information given.

Answer 13

Simply.... just define: year :D

Answer 14

One year. That is the *definition* of a year. The time it takes Earth to complete one orbit of the Sun.

Answer 15

One year, or one rotation around the sun, is defined as 365.25 days.

Answer 16

quantumc is 100  %correct.

Answer 17

The Earth takes exactly 365.26 solar days to orbit the sun   or just 1 year and 1/4 day :D