Does the Earth periodically flip its rotational axis?

As the theory goes, the Earth and all other rotating bodies in space, will periodically flip on their rotational axis causing catastrophic effects for the planets and all things living upon it. Here is a very interesting video explaining the intermediate axis theory of rotating bodies, or the Dzhanibekov Effect as it is known, in easily understood layman’s terms (without the heavy math) and how it relates to Earth and other rotating celestial masses.

Studies say the earth has done this in the past.

No. The studies show that the magnetic polarity of the planet has flipped, not the rotational axis.

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My bad. You’re right.

Man, that’s some crazy deja vu right there. I was just thinking about this the other day. :thinking:

The Earth does wobble in a variety of manners, however.

The thing about the Earth is, it’s not just one sphere.

Inner core
Outer core
Mantle
And a crust that is broken into numerous plates.

That would be correct. :smile:

Like Matryoshka dolls. :wink:

So if they’re rotating in opposite directions, does that count as additional axes? :man_shrugging:

And it’s actually oblate, which is like wuuhhhhhhhhhht.

If I get this correctly…The earth really only has one axis…in order to have the flip there needs to be three axis, in essences a horizontal, vertical and I guess for a lack of better term a perpendicular Axis…or one that runs through the intersection of the Horizontal and Vertical…Only then when you have three differing spin rates, does the inertia change enough to cause it to flip. Without that third axis, it cannot happen. Correct?

No, the magnetic poles flip, not earth’s axis.