--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It doesn’t take 24 hours for the earth to…" description: "\"“It doesn’t take 24 hours for the earth to turn completely, but 23 hours, 56 minutes, and fourseconds”\" — Adam Anderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/adam-anderson-10859_24-hours_it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-t_463915.jpg" --- # It doesn’t take 24 hours for the earth to turn completely… ![“It doesn’t take 24 hours for the earth to turn completely, but 23 hours, 56 minutes, and fourseconds” quote by Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/adam-anderson-10859_24-hours_it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-t_463915.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/adam-anderson-10859_24-hours_it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-t_463915.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/adam-anderson-10859_24-hours_it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-t_463915.jpg) > ““It doesn’t take 24 hours for the earth to turn completely, but 23 hours, 56 minutes, and fourseconds”” [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Earth rotates slightly less than a full day, taking 23 h 56 m 4 s. **In simple terms:** A day is 23 h 56 m 4 s, not 24 h. Key Takeaway Remember the true length of a solar day. Themes science time astronomy Mood educational informative Type fact explanatory When to use this quote - navigation - space travel - education - calendar design Key Concepts physics geophysics Questions to Reflect On - How does this affect timekeeping? - Why do we still use a 24‑hour convention? A Different Perspective Most people assume a 24‑hour day, leading to minor timing errors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [What? I wasnt having a go at ladygaga... was just curious about 56 minutes... cant a fuckin bitch ask questions?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-zimmerman/what-i-wasnt-having-a-go-at-ladygaga-was-just-curious-about-56/) [Joel Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-zimmerman/) > [Gardens were before gardeners, and but some hours after the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/gardens-were-before-gardeners-and-but-some-hours-after-the-earth/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [“For us on the East Coast of the United States the systematic change in the calendar begins on December 31, 2017. It starts in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/for-us-on-the-east-coast-of-the-united-states-the-systematic-change/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [“Richard felt no guilt about this, since he had heard that Google Earth, in turn, was based on an idea from some old science-fiction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/richard-felt-no-guilt-about-this-since-he-had-heard-that-google-earth/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“For the land's sake, Sarah Gale, let the earth turn on its axis, and don't be forever tryin' to stop it. There ain't but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-a-nash/for-the-land-s-sake-sarah-gale-let-the-earth-turn-on-its-axis-and-don/) Harriet A. Nash > [I think about the cosmic snowball theory. A few million years from now the sun will burn out and lose its gravitational pull. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-lee/i-think-about-the-cosmic-snowball-theory-a-few-million-years-from-now/) [Bill Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-lee/) > [“The opening screen of T'Rain was a frank rip-off of what you saw when you booted up Google Earth. Richard felt no guilt about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-opening-screen-of-t-rain-was-a-frank-rip-off-of-what-you-saw-when/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [If I would know that I'm gonna die tomorrow,I'll spend 23 hours with you.And if you wonder what about the last hour, in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-would-know-that-i-m-gonna-die-tomorrow-i-ll-spend-23-hours-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm busy 23 hours a day. I sleep terribly. So, that one hour a day at the gym is my hour of the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-rife/i-m-busy-23-hours-a-day-i-sleep-terribly-so-that-one-hour-a-day-at/) [Matt Rife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-rife/) > [“At the altitude of about 23,000 miles the satellite takes 23 hours and 56 minutes to orbit Earth. Earth takes 23 hours and 56 minutes to rotate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/at-the-altitude-of-about-23-000-miles-the-satellite-takes-23-hours/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [It's crazy the way you see someone for two minutes of the day, yet they were the best two minutes of ur day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie/it-s-crazy-the-way-you-see-someone-for-two-minutes-of-the-day-yet/) [Archie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie/) > [I am struggling, though. It’s f-cking hard. So little sleep. It’s 23 hours and 59 minutes of exhaustion. They do one little thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liev-schreiber/i-am-struggling-though-it-s-f-cking-hard-so-little-sleep-it-s-23/) [Liev Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liev-schreiber/) > [It's not about what you do in the gym for an hour, it's about what you don't do outside the gym in those 23 hours!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koena-mitra/it-s-not-about-what-you-do-in-the-gym-for-an-hour-it-s-about-what-you/) [Koena Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koena-mitra/) > [Playing Xbox for 23 hours straight is cool and all, but I'm going to teach you how to spend time on things in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hardwick/playing-xbox-for-23-hours-straight-is-cool-and-all-but-i-m-going-to/) [Chris Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hardwick/) > [1633 miles...which is 23 hours away from each other .. But it only took me minutes for me to fall in love with you .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-2/1633-miles-which-is-23-hours-away-from-each-other-but-it-only-took-me/) Nancy âï ̧ ## More by Adam Anderson > [“Murphy’s Law says bread will always land butterside down”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/murphy-s-law-says-bread-will-always-land-butterside-down/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“8)      Women introduced the windshield wiper”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/8-women-introduced-the-windshield-wiper/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“Bees have been around for over 30 million years”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/bees-have-been-around-for-over-30-million-years/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“The most famous snow globe was featured in the movie Citizen Kane”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/the-most-famous-snow-globe-was-featured-in-the-movie-citizen-kane/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“Red velvet cake gets its red color from crushed beetles”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/red-velvet-cake-gets-its-red-color-from-crushed-beetles/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“Polar bears can swim 100 miles without rest”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/polar-bears-can-swim-100-miles-without-rest/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“The tallest mountain in the solar system is on Mars”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/the-tallest-mountain-in-the-solar-system-is-on-mars/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“The world’s oldest living tree, the Methuselah, is 4,600 years old”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/the-world-s-oldest-living-tree-the-methuselah-is-4-600-years-old/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“Have an ant problem in your home? Spread some cinnamon where they are coming into the house because, for some reason, ants hate cinnamon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/have-an-ant-problem-in-your-home-spread-some-cinnamon-where-they-are/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“Lipstick first become popular because it made women’s lips look like the female’s lower anatomy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/lipstick-first-become-popular-because-it-made-women-s-lips-look-like/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“By braiding floss into a rope in 1994, a prison inmate scaled the wall and escaped”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/by-braiding-floss-into-a-rope-in-1994-a-prison-inmate-scaled-the-wall/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“A family of four could have enough bread for 10 years with one acre of wheat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/a-family-of-four-could-have-enough-bread-for-10-years-with-one-acre/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“A cockroach can live nine days without its head”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/a-cockroach-can-live-nine-days-without-its-head/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“Seventy-five percent of kids will do extra chores for more Easter candy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/seventy-five-percent-of-kids-will-do-extra-chores-for-more-easter/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [“Skunks can and will eat a rattlesnake”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/skunks-can-and-will-eat-a-rattlesnake/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) [Explore all 63 Adam Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) ## More 24 hours quotes > [Man: You are all going to live... (Smith family cheers) Man: ... for 24 more hours. Which is just enough time for you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/american-dad/man-you-are-all-going-to-live-smith-family-cheers-man-for-24-more/) [American Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/american-dad/) > [Discipline is the whole key to being successful. We all get 24 hours each day. That's the only fair thing; it's the only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-huff/discipline-is-the-whole-key-to-being-successful-we-all-get-24-hours/) [Sam Huff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-huff/) > [It's funny because I grew up with the T.V. on 24 hours a day. And the more money I made, the more T.V.s we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/it-s-funny-because-i-grew-up-with-the-t-v-on-24-hours-a-day-and-the/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [24 hours a day, I'm thinking about what we can do with this artist, what I can do myself over here, and how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-park/24-hours-a-day-i-m-thinking-about-what-we-can-do-with-this-artist/) [Jay Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-park/) > [I don't stress at all. When other people say, 'I'm having a bad day,' I ask, 'How can you have a bad day for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cloris-leachman/i-don-t-stress-at-all-when-other-people-say-i-m-having-a-bad-day-i/) [Cloris Leachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cloris-leachman/) > [There's some people that are 24 hours with the baby and it doesn't make a difference. They could be anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/there-s-some-people-that-are-24-hours-with-the-baby-and-it-doesn-t/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [If you think people are inherently good, you get rid of the police for 24 hours - see what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/if-you-think-people-are-inherently-good-you-get-rid-of-the-police-for/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [If you are you, 24 hours a day, then you do not have to remember who you are supposed to be in different situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dixon/if-you-are-you-24-hours-a-day-then-you-do-not-have-to-remember-who/) [Bill Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dixon/) > [The most important preliminary to the task of arranging one's life so that one may live fully and comfortably within one's daily budget of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-most-important-preliminary-to-the-task-of-arranging-one-s-life-so/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [It's quite a job, so to speak, when you can really be with your child for 21 out of 24 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-macmaster/it-s-quite-a-job-so-to-speak-when-you-can-really-be-with-your-child/) [Natalie MacMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-macmaster/) > [“24 hours was not enough to savor all the beauty of her soul, the heart has the words with every pulse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-houssami/24-hours-was-not-enough-to-savor-all-the-beauty-of-her-soul-the-heart/) [Sam Houssami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-houssami/) > [The BBC, during its 24 hours on the air, plays a very wide range of stuff. And it's not commercial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-trower/the-bbc-during-its-24-hours-on-the-air-plays-a-very-wide-range-of/) [Robin Trower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-trower/) > [If you are sitting on top of the world, remember it turns over every 24 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/if-you-are-sitting-on-top-of-the-world-remember-it-turns-over-every/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“There are 24 hours in a day, but my day is never complete without at least an hour of your time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-joshua/there-are-24-hours-in-a-day-but-my-day-is-never-complete-without-at/) [Timothy Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-joshua/) > [Before you go to sleep, do not forget to say thanks for everything good that has happened to you in the last 24 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-orbison/before-you-go-to-sleep-do-not-forget-to-say-thanks-for-everything/) [Roy Orbison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-orbison/) Browse all 195 24 hours quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It doesn’t take 24 hours for the earth to turn completely, but 23 hours, 56 minutes, and fourseconds”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-to-turn-completely-but-23/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "24 hours" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-to-turn-completely-but-23/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/adam-anderson-10859_24-hours_it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-t_463915.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/adam-anderson-10859_24-hours_it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-t_463915.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/adam-anderson-10859_24-hours_it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-t_463915.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It doesn’t take 24 hours for the earth to turn completely, but 23 hours, 56 minutes, and fourseconds” — Adam Anderson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adam Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It doesn’t take 24 hours for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-to-turn-completely-but-23/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/it-doesn-t-take-24-hours-for-the-earth-to-turn-completely-but-23/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```