In a stunning display of the Earth’s natural motion, a time-lapse video has been making waves on the internet, showing the planet rotating over the course of 24 hours. Shot by photographer Bartosz Wojczyński in Namibia, the video provides a rare, breathtaking view of the Earth rotating on its axis from day to night.
The video, posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by the account @wonderofscience, has gone viral in a short period of time, garnering more than 200,000 views since its posting on November 16, 2024. The clip visually demonstrates the Earth‘s rotation by stabilising the sky, which allows viewers to see the movement of the planet as it turns throughout the day and night cycle. This method of stabilisation gives an almost surreal look at something most of us know to be true but seldom see with such clarity.
The Earth’s rotation visualized by stabilizing the sky over a 24 hour period, filmed in Namibia by photographer Bartosz Wojczyński.pic.twitter.com/YLtVdCtJMN
— Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) November 16, 2024
In the time-lapse, the camera is fixed on a point in the sky, capturing the changing landscape as the Earth rotates beneath it. Wojczyński’s technique allows the viewer to witness the progression of time from a fixed perspective, making the rotation of the planet appear even more dynamic and striking. The accompanying caption for the video reads, “The Earth’s rotation is visualised by stabilising the sky over 24 hours, filmed in Namibia by photographer Bartosz Wojczyński.”
While the video has fascinated many, it has also sparked some debate among viewers. Some viewers were skeptical, calling the footage fake or questioning the speed at which the time-lapse was filmed. Others were in awe, with comments ranging from admiration for the stunning visual to feelings of dizziness from the fast-paced rotation.
This is not the first time the Earth‘s rotation has been captured on a time-lapse video. A similar video was uploaded in August 2022, filmed from the Cosmodrome Observatory located in South France. Here, the video showed how the Earth rotates against the backdrop of the Milky Way, offering another breathtaking view of our planet’s movement in space.
This is an amazing video for all space and science enthusiasts as it provides a glimpse of the vastness of the natural rhythms of our planet. In this way, the rotation of the Earth visually can connect one to the cosmos and the natural forces governing our world. It’s really a visual feast for those space enthusiasts and anyone interested in the wonders of the universe.
As the video continues to circulate online, it is serving as a reminder of the many unseen phenomena that shape our world — in this case, the slow but constant rotation of the Earth.
