Shortest day in history set for TOMORROW as Earth's rotation mysteriously gets even faster
That's because Earth's rotation has continued to pick up speed, and is expected to spin even faster than it did on July 9, when everyone on the plant experienced a day that was 1.3 milliseconds shorter than normal.
New data has revealed that the Earth appeared to have spun even faster a day later on July 10, making the day 1.36 milliseconds shorter than usual.
A millisecond equals one thousandth of a second, which is so impossibly difficult to measure that takes an atomic clock to track the numbers, measuring what's called 'Length of Day,' or LOD.
LOD marks the time it takes Earth to rotate once, down to the millisecond. Normally, that process takes exactly 86,400 seconds, or 24 hours, to complete.
However, Earth's rotation has been speeding up in recent years. While the cause is still a mystery, new research from NASA has suggested it may be connected to the moon's gravitational pull.
The major uptick in speed this summer has led to the possibility that scientists will have to add a negative leap second to the calendar by 2029, meaning one second will be taken away from our clocks to keep them in sync.
While the tiny change may seem insignificant, researchers have found that the shorter day can affect everything from satellite systems and GPS accuracy to how we measure time itself.
Earth's rotation is affected by a number of different factors, both on the planet and out in space.
Some of the potential reasons include changes in the atmosphere, the melting of glaciers worldwide shifting water volume, a change in motion inside the Earth's metal core, and a weakening magnetic field.
NASA researchers have also suggested that this year's acceleration is actually a result of Earth hitting the moon's 'orbital sweet spot,' causing the planet to receive a tiny speed boost.
Before this recent acceleration in Earth's spin, the planet was actually slowing down, due to the moon's gravitational pull, which has been stretching our days into the 24-hour cycle we now live by in modern times.
Geoscientist Stephen Meyers, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, found that as the moon moves further away, its changing gravitational impact on Earth would slowly make days incrementally longer.
However, scientists recently observed variations in the planet's rotation, causing the planet to speed up in 2020, 2022, and 2024.
On July 9 and now again on July 22, the moon will be at its furthest point from Earth's equator, which alters its gravitational pull on our planet's axis.
In simpler terms, the moon has been spinning the Earth like a top, holding on to the planet at the midpoint, which is usually closer to the moon than the north or south poles.
On July 22, and again on August 5, the moon's gravity will exert more of a pull on the Earth's poles, essentially spinning our planet at its top, which naturally makes it rotate faster.
The fastest day recorded so far was just over one year ago on July 5, 2024, when Earth spun 1.66 milliseconds faster than the standard 24 hours.
Although scientists have been recording Earth's rotation since the 1970s, they only started noticing record-breaking changes on a regular basis in 2020.
That year, July 19 came in 1.47 milliseconds short. On July 9, 2021, there was another 1.47 millisecond drop.
In 2022, Earth recorded its shortest day on June 30, shaving off 1.59 milliseconds from the usual 24 hours.
In 2023, the planet's rotation slowed again, and no new records were set. In 2024, however, the speed picked up. Several days broke the previous records, making it the year with the most consistently shorter days on record.
These estimates are based on past observations and computer models, and include systematic corrections and smoothing to account for natural fluctuations.
Right now, the world has kept time using Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC. Sometimes we've added a leap second to stay in sync with Earth's slow shifts.
Due to these ongoing spikes in our rotation, however, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) has already announced that no leap second will be added in 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
Covid vaccines ‘saved far fewer lives than first thought'
Covid vaccines saved far fewer lives than first thought, a major new analysis has concluded, with researchers criticising 'aggressive mandates'. In 2024, the World Health Organisation (WHO) claimed that jabs prevented the deaths of 14.4 million globally in the first year alone, with some estimates putting the figure closer to 20 million. However, new modelling by Stanford University and Italian researchers suggests that while the vaccine did undoubtedly save lives, the true figure is 'substantially more conservative' and closer to 2.5 million worldwide over the course of the entire pandemic. The team estimated that nine of 10 prevented deaths were in the over-60s, with jabs saving just 299 youngsters aged under 20, and 1,808 people aged between 20 and 30 globally. Overall 5,400 people needed to be vaccinated to save one life but in the under-30s this figure rose to 100,000 jabs, the paper suggests. Researchers criticised 'aggressive mandates and the zealotry to vaccinate everyone at all cost', adding that the findings had implications for how future vaccine rollouts are handled. John Ioannidis, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and the first author, said: 'I think early estimates were based on many parameters having values that are incompatible with our current understanding. 'In principle, targeting the populations who would get the vast majority of the benefit and letting alone those with questionable risk-benefit and cost-benefit makes a lot of sense. 'Aggressive mandates and the zealotry to vaccinate everyone at all cost were probably a bad idea.' Since 2021, more than 13 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered. But there have been mounting concerns that vaccines could be harmful for some people, particularly the young, and that the risk was not worth the benefit for a population at little risk from Covid. More than 17,500 Britons have applied to the Government's vaccine damage payment scheme believing they or loved ones were injured by the jab. In June, manufacturers added warnings for myocarditis and pericarditis to Covid-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines' prescribing information. For the new study, experts used worldwide population data, alongside vaccine effectiveness and infection fatality rates, to estimate how many people died from a Covid infection before or after the periods of vaccination. The team believes earlier modelling may have used overly pessimistic infection fatality rates and overly optimistic vaccine effectiveness, while failing to consider how quickly protection waned. Based on fewer assumptions Earlier studies may also have underestimated how many people had already been unknowingly infected by the time they had the vaccine. Dr Angelo Maria Pezzullo, researcher in general and applied hygiene at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, in Milan, said: 'Before ours, several studies tried to estimate lives saved by vaccines with different models and in different periods or parts of the world, but this one is the most comprehensive because it is based on worldwide data. it also covers the omicron period. 'It also calculates the number of years of life that was saved, and it is based on fewer assumptions about the pandemic trend.' The team calculated that around 14.8 million life-years were saved, one life-year saved per 900 vaccine doses administered. Researchers concluded that although vaccines had a 'substantial benefit' on global mortality, it was 'mostly limited' to older people. The over-70s made up nearly 70 per cent of the lives saved, while the 60 to 70s accounted for a further 20 per cent. In contrast, under-20s made up just 0.01 per cent of lives saved and 20 to 30s were 0.07 per cent. Professor Stefania Boccia, of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, added: 'These estimates are substantially more conservative than previous calculations that focused mainly on the first year of vaccination, but clearly demonstrate an important overall benefit from Covid-19 vaccination over the period 2020-2024. 'Most of the benefits, in terms of lives and life-years saved, have been secured for a portion of the global population who is typically more fragile, the elderly.' Sir David Davis, the former Brexit secretary who fought against vaccine mandates, said: 'Frankly it's a good cautionary tale that if we have another pandemic we should be far more clinical about the risk-benefit ratio. 'We knew pretty quickly who the most susceptible groups were and we should have focused very strictly on them, rather than placing people who were at little risk in hazard's way. 'The level of aggression of trying to force people to become vaccinated and shutting down people who were raising concerns, the reasons for those concerns are all validated in this report.'
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Uranus: Giant ice planet could be warmer than first thought
The planet Uranus is known for being one of two ice giants in the outer solar system and sits in a remote part of the Milky one Nasa spacecraft, Voyager 2, has ever travelled close to it and the planet has long been thought of as a cold and distant could it actually be warmer than we first thought?A new study by scientists suggests that could be true as they think Uranus gives out more heat than it receives from the Sun. What did scientists find? The new study was carried out by a group of experts from Nasa and from the University of Oxford in the decided to take a closer look at the huge planet, which is four times wider than of the reasons scientists don't know much about Uranus is because it's located so far only ever been visited once before, in a brief flyby by the Voyager-2 probe nearly 40 years ago, in from that mission suggested the planet is colder than expected, which challenged ideas of how planets formed and the team decided to use the latest tech and advanced computer modelling and take a fresh new look at the old a result, scientists now think the planet may actually be warmer than previously author Professor Patrick Irwin, from the University of Oxford, explained: "We did many calculations to see how much sunshine is reflected by Uranus and we realized that it is actually more reflective than people had estimated."Researchers found that Uranus releases about 15% more energy than it receives from the Sun, suggesting that it has its own team says that the discovery could help people better understand exoplanets, which are planets located outside the solar system. Five top facts about Uranus 1. Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and the third largest planet in the Milky Way.2. Uranus is unlike any other planet in our solar system. It spins on its side, which means each pole directly faces the Sun for around 42 years at a time, followed by 42 years of complete darkness.3. Uranus has two sets of rings. The inner group of nine rings is mostly made up of narrow, dark grey rings. There are also two outer rings: the innermost one is reddish in colour, and the outer ring is blue.4. Uranus is one of just two planets in our solar system that rotate in the opposite direction to all the rest of the planets in the Milky Way - the other one being Venus.5. According to Nasa, Uranus gets its blue-green colour thanks to methane gas in the atmosphere. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and is reflected back out by Uranus' cloud tops. Methane gas absorbs the red portion of the light, resulting in a blue-green colour.
Medical News Today
7 hours ago
- Medical News Today
Are 7,000 steps a day enough to see health benefits?
A lot of people focus on getting 10,000 steps a day for its purported health benefits. A new study says that walking for only 7,000 steps a day can help reduce a person's risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer, depression, and all-cause mortality. Scientists also discovered that walking around 4,000 steps a day still offers more health benefits than people with very low activity and about 2,000 steps a the last few years, there has been an emphasis placed on accumulating 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. Many people use fitness trackers such as Fitbits, Garmin smartwatches, or Apple Watches, or smartphone apps like Google Fit or Apple Health to track their daily steps. Past research has linked walking at least 10,000 steps a day to a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, obesity, and mental health issues. Now, a new study recently published in the journal The Lancet Public Health says that walking for only 7,000 steps a day can help reduce a person's risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer, depression, and all-cause mortality. Scientists also discovered that walking around 4,000 steps a day still offers more health benefits than people with very low activity and about 2,000 steps a focus on daily steps? For this study, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of studies conducted between 2014 to 2025 from 35 cohorts from PubMed and EBSCO CINAHL — including more than 16,000 adult participants — to look for correlations between step counts and eight specific outcomes: all-cause mortalitycancercardiovascular diseasecognitive outcomesfallsmental health outcomesphysical functiontype 2 diabetes'While we already know physical activity benefits health, public guidelines focus on total minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week, usually 150 to 300 minutes,' Melody Ding, PhD, professor in the Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health at The University of Sydney in Australia, and corresponding author of this study, explained to Medical News Today. 'However, many people track their activity by steps, a simple and accessible metric, but the popular 10,000-steps-a-day goal isn't actually based on solid evidence. Our review sought to clarify how many steps per day are linked to meaningful health benefits,' she said. Walking 7,000 steps per day lowers 7 types of health risksUpon analysis, researchers found that study participants who walked about 7,000 steps each day were associated with a lowered risk for: all-cause mortality by 47%cancer by 6%cardiovascular disease by 25% dementia by 38%depression by 22%falls by 28%type 2 diabetes by 14%'This study is important because step-counting devices are becoming so widely available that the general public wants to know what they should aim for,' Ding said. 'We know physical activity is beneficial for health, but it is generally harder for the general public to track how many minutes of activities they do every day (because the activities can be of short bouts and be incidental), therefore, it is critical for us to provide such needed evidence. The finding is important for informing future health guidelines and physical activity promotion strategies, setting goals and targets for individuals, etc..' she 4,000 vs. 2,000 steps per dayAdditionally, Ding and her team found that study participants who only achieved a modest step count of about 4,000 steps per day still had better health outcomes than participants who had very low activity at about 2,000 steps a day. 'Increasing step counts from 2,000 to 4,000 or 5,000 is still associated [with] health benefits, even if one doesn't achieve 7,000,' Ding explained. 'It is important, particularly for motivating those who are extremely inactive.' 'Any increase in daily steps, even modest ones like 4,000 steps, delivers health benefits compared to very low activity levels. When possible, targeting around 7,000 steps per day can substantially reduce risks for many chronic diseases and adverse health outcomes.'— Melody Ding, PhD'Higher step counts beyond 7,000 may add extra benefits, but the improvement rate slows,' Ding added. 'Still, if you're already very active and consistently hitting 10,000+ steps, keep it up — there's no need to cut back.' A more achievable daily step goal MNT spoke with Nissi Suppogu, MD, a board certified cardiologist and medical director of the Women's Heart Center at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA, about this commented that this study is looking at overall steps — not necessarily steps during exercise, but steps throughout the day — making it an even easier target to achieve. 'Understanding the role of physical activity in health outcomes plays an important role in motivating patients to do something entirely on their own,' she explained. 'We need to continue to empower the patients with knowledge and evidence about physical activity. Physical activity, or steps in this case, is something they can do at home, in their yard, on their street, in the office, by a park or path. They don't have to make time or pay to go to a gym. There are no excuses. All you need to do is just get up and move!' The new daily walking goal'Understanding that a modest 2,000 steps a day affects their health and every additional step to getting to 7,000 steps daily yields significant benefits for several health outcomes. That knowledge can affect their attitude, as 7,000 steps seems more achievable than 10,000 steps daily — a magic number for health benefits when really it has no significant clinical evidence to support this pervasive claim.' — Nissi Suppogu, MDActivity does not have to be overly strenuous to be beneficialMNT also spoke with Kanwar Kelley, MD, JD, a triple board certified in otolaryngology head and neck surgery (ENT), obesity medicine and lifestyle medicine, and co-founder and CEO of Side Health in Orinda, CA, about this research.'This study confirms what we have been recommending, that physical activity is important for overall longevity and health,' Kelley said. 'It also confirms that the activity does not have to be overly strenuous. We can observe benefits and decrease risk from participating in activities that do not require specialized equipment or a gym membership.' 'The more we can reinforce the message, the better,' he continued. 'Conducting this type of research enables everyone, from individuals to medical practitioners and lawmakers, to develop treatment plans and programs centered on these lifestyle interventions.''Researching a variety of activities will allow individuals to choose from different physical activities and remove barriers to participation. When research shows the significant benefits of physical activity on longevity, it raises overall awareness of just how important it is to our overall health span,' Kelley added. 'This study provides evidence that there is a dose-dependent relationship with physical activity (walking in this case). There were some differences in how much different populations would benefit from the prescribed 7,000 steps. Identifying specific step ranges can help create customized care plans tailored to a person's age, health, and physical fitness. However, there is a benefit from any increase in physical activity and it should continue to be recommended for all populations.' — Kanwar Kelley, MD, JD
