From what standard vantage point do astronomers define prograde planetary rotation?
Answer
Looking down onto the solar system from above the Sun's North Pole.
The scientific convention for determining the direction of planetary rotation—whether it is prograde (counter-clockwise) or retrograde (clockwise)—relies on a fixed, standardized viewpoint. This standard perspective requires the observer to be positioned above the Sun's North Pole and looking down toward the plane in which the planets orbit. From this specific angle, the majority of the major planets, including Earth, exhibit prograde rotation, meaning they spin counter-clockwise. Any deviation from this established frame of reference would result in an apparent reversal of spin direction.
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