Is it possible for earth to spin in the opposite direction?

Question

for example it flips over in such a way that the planet rotates the other way?

If it is possible then what would happen if it did spin the other way?

Answer 1

Then we'll all flip and our heads will start spinning in the wrong direction too.

Answer 2

There is a 41,000 year cycle during which Earth's axis alternates between a 22 and 24 1/2 degree tilt (it's at 23 degrees at the moment).

The moon is gradually moving further away from Earth, which means that the Earth's axial tilt will oscillate between 27 and 60 degrees (a lot), after two billion years, which will have a massive effect on the climate.

There's also evidence for massive tilt in the past (see link below), which may have caused the continents to move round relatively quickly at that time, but I don't think it's ever been upside down - there's no known cycle of the Earth's movement tending towards that.  If it did happen, it would be a slow process. Needless to say, the effects would be huge.

It's not actually impossible, but it would take an immense force, even more immense to make it happen more quickly.  (Assuming there's not some cycle we don't know about, to make it happen naturally - but almost certainly there isn't one with such an extreme effect. (Another answerer suggested picturing it like a gyroscope - so maybe it is almost impossible, as well as unlikely))  

There is also the wobble of the the Earth's axis (like the wobbling of a spinning top), called the procession of the equinoxes, which takes place over a period of 25,765 years. A very slow wobble...

Also the speed of rotation is gradually slowing, from about 6 1/2 hours for a complete rotation 4.5 billion years ago, just after the formation of Earth - a very short day.

Answer 3

Time would run backwards, and Lois Lane would be safe again......... Did you not watch Superman??

I would actually have thought that nothing strange would happen to us, or time etc, but it is bound to have some effect on magnetism, and the poles, so we might all die from those changing

Answer 4

Yes when the rabbits allow it.

Answer 5

the only motion of the earth's axis is limited so it wont happen

Answer 6

if i understand what is known at this time,if earth were to stop it may loose it's place in the solar system and the sun's gravity might pull it into itself.

do you think there is a spin in the center of the earth?

Answer 7

No, not really.

Think about it. Let's say you had a huge heavy canon ball hanging in the air in front of you and it was spinning round quite fast. If you wanted to stop it and make it go the other way you'd have to grab it, stop it and start it spinning the other way. It would be damned hard work because such a massive object has a lot of momentum (sort of a 'desire' to carry on spinning in the direction it was spinning in).

Now scale this up to Earth size. The amount of effort needed to stop the Earth and spin it the other way would be far more than we could ever produce, even with nuclear power. And nothing else in the Universe is going to step in and do it.

Answer 8

It is said that "all things are possible"  but my word what a lot of upsets that would cause.

Answer 9

Normally does when I've had 15 pints of beer, surely you've noticed.

Answer 10

if a really big wind came

then perhaps the world would spin the other way;]

Answer 11

nope we will die

Answer 12

no, thats not even slightly possible. but if it were and if it happened, we would go through the  worst series of climate changes and natural disasters (crossing off an sysmyc activity) humanity has ever seen. if the earth were to suddenly flip(even gradually) or somehow slow down and start turning the other direction(that'd suck)... it'd be as close to the apocolypse as mankind would ever see

Answer 13

Yes.  In-fact some of the planets in the solar system are doing just that.  Venus is spinning backwards and so is Uranus; this is probably to do with planetary wobble.  All planets wobble from side to side if they wobble to far they may tip over and end up upside-down and spinning the wrong way.  The Earth has a wobble of about 25 degrees but the moon prevents this from becoming too severe.  However as the moon moves further from the Earth the wobble may in time become more pronounced.

Answer 14

only if god would & if it happened it will be the end of the world  i  believe  !!!!!

Answer 15

Not sure about this one but wow, what a great question. Would we all start walking backwards and live a life starting Sun, Sat, Fri, Thurs etc. It would be well weird (or maybe nothing would happen (except the clouds would do that strange backward thing they do when they reverse things on nature shows).

Answer 16

highly improbable but it is possible.  under the right circumstances it can be done.

Answer 17

Yes, Definitely, And it will soon. I have tangible evidence but only for men of understanding. take a look at the sources below.

Answer 18

We'll all die, a horrible, painful death!

Answer 19

JB -

It is not possible according to Newton's Laws, which represent 300 year old technology that has been used in all of our machines since the horse and buggy. The Earth acts like a gigantic gyroscope. Gyroscopes are used on ships and spacecraft to provide a stable platform for compasses and guidance systems. They are used because once you start them spinning in one direction, they cannot change unless some outside force acts on them.

The Earth is one HUGE gyroscope, and there are no outside forces acting on it that haven't been there for billions of years.

The Earth is not going to turn over. Can't happen. Stop worrying and watch fewer of those silly TV documentaries.

Answer 20

LET us sae tad that is possible and tell u wad,everything will go all wrong and the phrase of saying"the sun will rise from the west" will become "the sun will rise from the east".BUT really,this is not a stupid question niether.JUz to think of it,wuld things actually be rewind and corpse come out of the coffin?really no one knows but gd Q though.

Answer 21

Hahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhah...

NO!

Answer 22

No way, thats not possable. If the earth flipped the whole solar system would have to change.