Earth Spinning on two Axes?

Most recent answer: 11/27/2015

Q:
In the past, did the earth have an unstable spinning axis? A duel axis, spinning west to east and North to south at the same time?
- Robert Anderson (age 62)
Lowell, MI 49331
A:

Spinning at one time on two different axes isn't something that a sphere can do. If you tried to combine those two types of spinning, you'd get a net spin around a different axis. Because the earth isn't a perfect sphere, it's spin gradually wobbles a little, but I think that's not what you were picturing.

Mike W. 


(published on 11/27/2015)