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New York Post
02-07-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Summer 2025 will have three of the shortest days on record as Earth's rotation unexpectedly accelerates
Time is not on your side this summer. The Earth is set to have three remarkably shorter than average days in the coming weeks as the Earth's rotation unexpectedly accelerates, according to scientists. Our pale blue dot's daily rotation is normally equivalent to about 86,400 seconds — or 24 hours — but three days this summer will see as much as 1.51 milliseconds shaved off the clock, according to a report from Popular Mechanics. Earth is set to have three days this summer as much as 1.51-milliseconds shorter than a normal day. 1xpert – The International Rotation and Reference Systems Service found that July 9, July 22, and August 5 will be victims of the time-slicing, putting them among the shortest since 2020. Scientists said these dates will be when the Moon is furthest from the equator which will impact the rate of the Earth's rotation, the report stated. The shortest day recorded since 2020 was July 5, 2024, which was a full 1.66 milliseconds shorter than average — with experts unable to pin down the reason for the increased acceleration. 'Nobody expected this,' Leonic Zotov, Earth rotation expert from Moscow State University, told regarding the quickening trend. 'The cause of this acceleration is not explained. Most scientists believe it is something inside the Earth. Ocean and atmospheric models don't explain this huge acceleration,' Zotov added. Since 2020, planet Earth has seen an 'unexplained' rotation acceleration which some scientists believe could be caused by something deep in the core our native celestial body. AP Earth's official timekeepers may need to take a first-ever drastic measure to keep up with the new pace — instating a 'negative leap second' in 2029, according to a study published in Nature last year. 'This is an unprecedented situation and a big deal,' study lead author and geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California Duncan Agnew said at the time. 'It's not a huge change in the Earth's rotation that's going to lead to some catastrophe or anything, but it is something notable. It's yet another indication that we're in a very unusual time.' Days on Earth have not always been 24-hours long, with rotations during the Bronze Age clocking in at roughly 23 hours.
Economic Times
02-07-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Earth is rotating faster, say scientists: What it means and should you worry?
Earth's rotation is speeding up, causing days to shorten by a fraction of a second since 2020. Scientists predict that a leap second might need to be removed in 2029 to align clocks with the planet's faster spin. While the cause remains unclear, researchers are exploring factors within the Earth's core, though this change is not a cause for concern. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why are days getting shorter now? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What might be causing the faster spin? No need to worry, say scientists The Earth is spinning slightly faster than before, and that means our days are becoming shorter by a tiny fraction of a second. Scientists say this trend has been noticeable since 2020, and by 2029, we may even need to remove a leap second from our clocks—the first time such a step would be change in rotation speed is not entirely new. Earth's rotation has shifted gradually over millions of years. For example, days were about 23 hours long during the time of dinosaurs. During the Bronze Age, each day was already half a second shorter than now. According to scientists, if long-term patterns continue, an Earth day might last 25 hours—but only after about 200 million takes roughly 86,400 seconds to complete a full spin. But this number is not exact. Several factors, such as ocean tides, volcanic activity, earthquakes, and even changes below the surface, can affect how fast Earth the general trend over centuries has been a gradual slowing down, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), based in Washington D.C., says the planet has been spinning faster since 2020. This increase has been consistent enough that experts predict we might need to subtract a leap second in 2029 to keep clocks aligned with Earth's rotation.A report by states that this pattern will likely continue into 2025. The shortest days of that year are expected to fall on July 9, July 22, and August 5. On August 5, Earth's rotation could be 1.51 milliseconds shorter than the usual 24 reason behind this recent speed-up is still unclear. Researchers are studying different possibilities, but none has given a complete Zotov, a researcher at Moscow State University, told 'Nobody expected this.' Zotov co-authored a 2022 study on the topic but admitted that no existing model fully explains the scientists believe the answer may be found deep within the Earth's core. Changes in the oceans or atmosphere do not seem strong enough to explain the sudden increase. However, factors like melting polar ice and shifting land surfaces may also influence rotation Earth is spinning faster now, scientists say this does not signal a major shift. Over the long term, the planet still tends to slow down. The current changes are small and will not lead to a return to prehistoric-day lengths anytime possible removal of a leap second in 2029 would mark an adjustment to match atomic time with Earth's actual spin. It would not affect daily life, but it serves as a reminder that even something as constant as time is not completely fixed.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Earth is rotating faster, say scientists: What it means and should you worry?
The Earth is spinning slightly faster than before, and that means our days are becoming shorter by a tiny fraction of a second. Scientists say this trend has been noticeable since 2020, and by 2029, we may even need to remove a leap second from our clocks—the first time such a step would be taken. This change in rotation speed is not entirely new. Earth's rotation has shifted gradually over millions of years. For example, days were about 23 hours long during the time of dinosaurs. During the Bronze Age, each day was already half a second shorter than now. According to scientists, if long-term patterns continue, an Earth day might last 25 hours—but only after about 200 million years. Why are days getting shorter now? Earth takes roughly 86,400 seconds to complete a full spin. But this number is not exact. Several factors, such as ocean tides, volcanic activity, earthquakes, and even changes below the surface, can affect how fast Earth spins. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When the Camera Clicked at the Worst Possible Time Read More While the general trend over centuries has been a gradual slowing down, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), based in Washington D.C., says the planet has been spinning faster since 2020. This increase has been consistent enough that experts predict we might need to subtract a leap second in 2029 to keep clocks aligned with Earth's rotation. A report by states that this pattern will likely continue into 2025. The shortest days of that year are expected to fall on July 9, July 22, and August 5. On August 5, Earth's rotation could be 1.51 milliseconds shorter than the usual 24 hours. Live Events What might be causing the faster spin? The reason behind this recent speed-up is still unclear. Researchers are studying different possibilities, but none has given a complete answer. Leonid Zotov, a researcher at Moscow State University, told 'Nobody expected this.' Zotov co-authored a 2022 study on the topic but admitted that no existing model fully explains the change. Most scientists believe the answer may be found deep within the Earth's core. Changes in the oceans or atmosphere do not seem strong enough to explain the sudden increase. However, factors like melting polar ice and shifting land surfaces may also influence rotation speed. No need to worry, say scientists Although Earth is spinning faster now, scientists say this does not signal a major shift. Over the long term, the planet still tends to slow down. The current changes are small and will not lead to a return to prehistoric-day lengths anytime soon. The possible removal of a leap second in 2029 would mark an adjustment to match atomic time with Earth's actual spin. It would not affect daily life, but it serves as a reminder that even something as constant as time is not completely fixed.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Shorter days ahead? Earth's rotation is speeding up, warn scientists
We often think of time—like the 24-hour day—as something fixed and unchanging. But in reality, even Earth's rotation isn't constant. Scientists have now found that our planet is spinning faster than it used to, and that means days are getting just a tiny bit shorter. This might sound strange, but Earth's rotation has always changed over long periods. Dinosaurs, for example, lived with 23-hour days. And in the Bronze Age, the average day was already about half a second shorter than today's standard. Looking ahead, scientists predict that 200 million years from now, one Earth day will last about 25 hours. Why is the Earth spinning faster? Normally, a day lasts 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds. But that's not completely accurate. Many things—like earthquakes, volcanic activity, ocean tides, and even underground changes—can make the planet spin slightly faster or slower. Even though the overall trend has been for Earth to slow down, something unusual has been happening since 2020. According to the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), based in Washington D.C., the Earth's rotation has started to speed up. This has been happening steadily enough that experts now believe we may need to remove a leap second from our clocks in 2029—the first time this has ever happened. A recent report from says that this trend will continue into 2025. Based on current data, the three shortest days of the year will be July 9, July 22, and August 5. The shortest of all, August 5, is expected to be about 1.51 milliseconds shorter than the usual 24 hours. What's causing it? This unexpected speed-up has puzzled experts. Leonid Zotov, a rotation researcher at Moscow State University, told 'Nobody expected this.' Zotov helped write a 2022 study trying to figure out the cause, but he says that so far, no model fully explains it. Most scientists believe the answer lies deep inside the Earth—possibly something happening in the core. Ocean and atmosphere changes don't seem to account for the speed increase. While this spinning trend might continue for now, it's not a sign that we're heading back to dinosaur-era days. Earth's long-term natural tendency is still to slow down over time. Things like melting ice at the poles and surface changes can also affect this. So, while we might 'lose' a leap second soon, Earth isn't going off track—just reminding us that even time isn't perfectly steady.
