Cleo Ann Pfister, age 12, of Indianapolis, Ind., for her question:

In what direction does the earth spin?

Our earth is a great ball suspended in the heavens. On all sides it is surrounded by star spattered space. The big globe turns on its axis, once around each twenty four hours. As the earth turns, the spot on which we live faces first one view then another view of the starry heavens.
Our changing view of the skies begins in the east. The sun, moon, planets and all the stars rise in the east., parade over the sky and set in the west. This is because the earth is turning, always turning towards the east. Our newest view of the heavens is always coming into view above the eastern horizon.