The rotation of the Earth is counterclockwise when viewed from above the North Pole. This means that if you were looking down at the Earth from space, with the North Pole at the top, the Earth would appear to rotate from west to east. This rotation is commonly referred to as eastward or in an "easterly" direction. It takes approximately 24 hours for the Earth to complete one full rotation on its axis, which is what gives us the cycle of day and night.