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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

The tilt does indeed change, over time. But the change is quite slow. The full cycle of this change in tilt is about 41,000 years.

Any space elevator system would change right along with the tilt of the earth.


82 posted on 09/01/2026 12:50:46 PM PDT by citizen (Say it with me.....the UK is now UKistan. Short & to the point.)
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To: citizen
I was just addressing the assertion that the tilt of the axis does not change. Hadn't even considered whether it affected any space cable elevator.

Yes, there are two long cycles, 29 thousand and 41 thousand years.

Here is the Brave search summarizer reply. (Better summary than me retyping it!)

" The 29,000-year figure refers to the maximum duration of the axial precession cycle (the wobble of Earth's axis), which typically averages 25,700 to 26,000 years. This cycle is driven by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon on Earth's equatorial bulge, causing the axis to trace a circle in the sky over time.

Key details regarding this timescale include:

Precession Cycle: The standard period is approximately 25,771 years, though historical averages and combined effects with orbital eccentricity (apsidal precession) have ranged between 20,800 and 29,000 years.

Climate Impact: This wobble determines which hemisphere experiences summer when Earth is closest to the Sun (perihelion), influencing the intensity of seasonal contrasts.

Distinction from Tilt: The axial tilt itself (obliquity) operates on a separate 41,000-year cycle, oscillating between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees, rather than the 29,000-year precession period.

AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts.

90 posted on 09/01/2026 5:32:16 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission ( )
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