The definition of a day is the amount of time it takes an astronomical object to complete one full spin on its axis. On Earth, a day is 23 hours and 56 minutes, but other planets and bodies rotate at different rates. The Moon, for example, spins on its axis once every 29.5 days. That means future lunar inhabitants will have to get used to a sunlight "day" that lasts for about 14 Earth days and a "night" that lasts about the same time.
Scientists typically measure days on other planets and astronomical objects in reference to Earth's day. This standard is applied across the solar system to avoid confusion when discussing events that occur on those worlds. However, each celestial body's day is a different length, whether it's a planet, moon, or asteroid. If it turns on its axis, it has a "day and night" cycle.
The following table depicts the day lengths of the planets in the Solar System.
| Planet | Length of Day |
| Mercury | 58.6 Earth days |
| Venus | 243 Earth days |
| Earth | 23 hours, 56 minutes |
| Mars | 24 hours, 37 minutes |
| Jupiter | 9 hours, 55 minutes |
| Saturn | 10 hours, 33 minutes |
| Uranus | 17 hours, 14 minutes |
| Neptune | 15 hours, 57 minutes |
| Pluto | 6.4 Earth days |
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