With the Heliocentric Theory, how did Copernicus explain the day and night cycle on the Earth?

a The Sun is also rotating around the Earth at the same time
Sunlight is being reflected off of the Moon as it orbits around the Earth
The Sun rays interact with the atmosphere at different times of day, creating bright and dark times of the day
The Earth is actually rotating around on an axis, changing which side of the planet faces the Sun at any given time

1 answer

The correct explanation Copernicus provided for the day and night cycle in the Heliocentric Theory is:

The Earth is actually rotating around on an axis, changing which side of the planet faces the Sun at any given time.

In this model, the rotation of the Earth on its axis results in different parts of the Earth being exposed to sunlight at different times, creating the cycle of day and night.