Latest news with #shortestDay
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Exact date when the world's next shortest day will occur as Earth's rotation expected to speed up AGAIN
If it feels like the summer is slipping away faster than ever, you're not alone. On July 9, the world experienced one of the shortest days in recorded history, at 1.3 milliseconds shorter than the average day. Now, scientists have revealed exactly when the next shortest days will occur as Earth's rotation speeds up once again. Scientists predict that July 22 and August 5 will be even shorter than July 9, at 1.38 and 1.51 milliseconds shorter than average. This is because the moon will be at its furthest point from Earth, reducing how much the tides hold back the planet's rotation. Since an average blink lasts about 100 milliseconds, you won't be able to notice this difference. However, Earth's rotation has been unexpectedly speeding up over the last few years, with atomic clocks picking up the change in 2020 and 2022. While scientists have suggested multiple theories from changes in the atmosphere to the weakening magnetic field, the exact reason for the acceleration remains a mystery. Normally, the Earth takes 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds, to rotate fully on its axis in a 'solar day'. While this constant might be something we often take for granted, the Earth's rotation isn't actually stable. On average, the Earth is actually slowing down by about two milliseconds per century. This means that a T Rex in the Mesozoic era, about 250 million years ago, lived through days that were 23 hours long. Even as early as the Bronze Age, the average day was about 0.47 seconds shorter, and in 200 million years' time, the days will be 25 hours long. This slowing is largely due to the pull of the moon in a process called tidal braking. When the moon's gravity pulls on Earth, it causes the oceans to bulge out slightly. In addition to creating the tides, this tug actually pulls Earth backwards and slows its rotation. However, when the moon is at its furthest point from Earth, known as the apogee, this pull is weaker and the planet can spin faster than normal. That is why July 22 and August 5 will be so much faster than other days this year. But these exceptionally short days are only possible because the Earth is currently in an unusual phase of acceleration. This change has been so sudden that some experts think we will need to subtract a leap second for the first time ever in 2029. Prior to 2020, there had never been a day much more than a millisecond shorter than average according to the US Naval Observatory and international Earth rotation services. Now, scientists have recorded a string of days more than 1.3 milliseconds shorter than normal. The shortest day ever recorded occurred on July 5 last year, which was a full 1.66 milliseconds shorter. Dr Leonid Zotov, a leading authority on Earth rotation at Moscow State University, told Time and Date: 'Nobody expected this. The cause of this acceleration is not explained.' Overall, scientists expected the planet's rotation to slow. This is partly due to the slowing rotation of the inner core, which affects Earth's rotation in space Most scientists believe that this is due to something changing deep within Earth's core, which is affecting the planet's momentum. In the future, Dr Zotov and other scientists expect that the trend will return to gradual slowing. 'I think we have reached the minimum. Sooner or later, Earth will decelerate,' says Dr Zotov. This is because there are a number of factors which are jointly working to slow the planet down. In addition to tidal braking, scientists also found that the planet's inner core began to slow around 2010 and is now moving backwards, subtly affecting the Earth's rotation in space. This is expected to slightly slow the planet down over the coming years. Likewise, recent research shows that melting ice and moving groundwater, linked to climate change, have increased the length of our days by 1.33 milliseconds per century between 2000 and 2018.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Why July 9 May Be the Shortest Day in Recorded History
Originally appeared on E! Online The summer months may bring longer daylight hours, but the days themselves are actually getting shorter. In fact, July 9 could end up being the shortest day ever recorded by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), which tracks the length of each day down to the millisecond. It's expected to clock in at roughly 1.3 milliseconds shorter than the typical 86,400 seconds in a 24-hour span, according to the BBC. The phenomenon may even occur more than once, as July 22 and Aug. 5 are also predicted to be slightly shorter than normal. On these dates, the moon will be furthest from the equator, which experts have tied to the momentum of the Earth's rotation, per the outlet. Indeed, experts have observed a steady acceleration in the Earth's rotation since 2020. Currently, the shortest day ever was logged on July 5, 2024, which was 1.66 milliseconds shorter than usual, according to Time and Date. For some of the most out-of-this-world celebrity quotes, keep reading. More from E! Online Kanye "Ye" West's Wife Bianca Censori Looks So Different With Bold New Hairstyle Kate Middleton's Personal Assistant of 15 Years Exits Palace Camp Mystic Survivor, 13, Details "Hysterical" Scene During Texas Flood But the moon's placement alone doesn't account for the years-long trend of Earth's rotation speeding up. 'The cause of this acceleration is not explained,' Moscow State University researcher Leonid Zotov told Time and Date in an interview published June 16. 'Most scientists believe it is something inside the Earth. Ocean and atmospheric models don't explain this huge acceleration.' While most people are unlikely to notice the effects of the occurrences, the IERS has periodically added a leap second to the year—most recently in 2016—to ensure high-precision clocks are unaffected. But the recent string of condensed days could have a subtle effect in the future, resulting in a leap second being taken off the clock for the first time in 2029. Fortunately, though, Zotov predicted that the Earth's momentum would eventually subside. 'I think we have reached the minimum,' he said. 'Sooner or later, Earth will decelerate.' For some of the most out-of-this-world celebrity quotes, keep reading. Gayle KingKaty PerryWilliam ShatnerLance BassMichael StrahanKim KardashianElon MuskLeonardo DiCaprioJustin BieberTom HanksAshton KutcherPrince WilliamCameron DiazMichael FassbenderCharlize TheronParis Hilton For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Earth is spinning faster today and scientists question cause of our shortest days ever
July 9 will be one of the shortest days ever, as Earth is spinning faster and scientists are still working to understand why. According to the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) the organization that continuously measures Earth's orientation in space and the length of days, our planet has been speeding up since 2020. This year, IERS data predicts that July 9 and 22, and Aug. 5 are bound to be the shortest days of the year and among the shortest in history. It will not be something that people will notice, but if the trend continues, it could lead to significantly shorter days in over a million year. However, the consensus among scientists is that the Earth will slow down again eventually. Acceleration, though, could continue for a few decades. July 9, 2025 will be 1.3 milliseconds shorter than average, IERS predicts. Scientists are studying potential causes, something happening within our planet's core, melting polar ice m, or even a shift in the position of the Moon relative to the Earth, they have said. Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo. This article originally appeared on Earth is spinning faster in July. How much faster?
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Time keeps on slipping - literally. Why today might have been the shortest day you ever experience
Some upcoming summer days are actually getting shorter, literally. Even if it's only by milliseconds. While the change won't be noticeable, Wednesday might technically be the shortest day you'll ever experience. That's because Earth completed its rotation approximately 1.3 to 1.6 milliseconds faster than the average 86,400 seconds. "In other words, we're not traveling back toward the Mesozoic in terms of rotation," Popular Mechanics reports. "The planet will eventually continue its steady deceleration — this is, of course, its natural tendency, but surface changes like polar ice melt can also contribute to the Earth's rotation slowing down." This phenomenon is invisible to daily life but of significant importance to high-precision timekeeping systems such as atomic clocks, GPS, and satellite networks. Scientists at the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service attribute the acceleration to a subtle shift in the Moon 's orbital alignment, which, orbiting farther from Earth's equator this summer, has reduced the 'tidal braking' effect that normally slows our planet's spin. Others, such as Moscow State University astronomer Leonid Zotov, said the cause of this acceleration is unexplained. "Most scientists believe it is something inside the Earth," he told "Ocean and atmospheric models don't explain this huge acceleration." This spike in rotational speed marks the sixth occurrence of unusually fast days since 2020, with similar events expected to occur on July 22 and August 5. In response to the slight change, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service is now considering implementing a negative leap second, a rare adjustment that subtracts time from Coordinated Universal Time to resynchronize clocks with Earth's rotation. Such a correction has never been made before, but the growing trend may require one around 2029.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Scientists say today could be the shortest day on record as the Earth's rotation speeds up
Scientists have warned that Wednesday could be the shortest day of your life as Earth's accelerating rotation is expected to move it quicker than ever before. They found that three days this summer, July 9, July 22, and August 5, are expected to be between 1.3 and 1.51 milliseconds shorter than the standard day (a millisecond is one-thousdandth of a second). This is because Earth's rotation has sped up in recent years, with scientists observing the phenomenon on atomic clocks in 2020 and 2022. These instruments are incredibly accurate machines that keep time by measuring the vibrations of atoms. Although the exact reason is still a mystery, scientists believe there could be several factors that are making Earth spin faster, including changes in the atmosphere, the melting of glaciers, motion in the Earth's core, and a weakening magnetic field. Earth normally takes 24 hours, or exactly 86,400 seconds, to complete one full rotation, which is called a solar day. The fastest day recorded so far was one year ago on July 5, 2024, when Earth spun 1.66 milliseconds faster than the standard 24 hours. While today's shortened day may seem insignificant, researchers have found that the time change can affect everything from satellite systems and GPS accuracy to how we measure time itself. Earth's rotation has never been perfect, as it shifts by tiny amounts throughout time, getting a few milliseconds faster or slower. However, scientists didn't start keeping exact records of these changes until the 1970s. For the latest estimates of Earth' spin, Graham Jones, an astrophysicist at the University of London, used information from the US Naval Observatory and international Earth rotation services. Atomic clocks tracked the numbers, measuring what's called 'Length of Day,' or LOD. That's the time it takes Earth to rotate once, down to the millisecond. Even tiny changes in day length matter. GPS, phone networks, and financial systems rely on split-second accuracy. A shift of just a few milliseconds can cause technical glitches. 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 slowing make days incrementally longer. Meyers predicted that days on our planet could eventually become 25 hours long, but noted that it would take about 200 million years. As for why Earth has sped up since 2020, natural forces like climate change may be playing a role in the planet's spin. Weather patterns like El Niño and the accelerated melting of glaciers in summer may literally be throwing the planet out of balance by a tiny degree. Richard Holme, a geophysicist at the University of Liverpool, added: 'There is more land in the northern hemisphere than the south.' 'In northern summer, the trees get leaves, this means that mass is moved from the ground to above the ground — further away from the Earth's spin axis,' he told Live Science. Basically, the rate of rotation of any moving body like Earth depends on its distribution of mass. It's similar to how a figure skater spins faster by pulling in their arms. Another reason for this sudden change could be shifting molten layers in the core. Earth is not solid all the way through. Its core is made of hot, swirling liquid metal. As that molten metal moves, it can change the planet's shape and balance. Scientists are looking at all these pieces together, the moon's orbit, core activity, ocean flow, and wind patterns, to figure out what's going on. Starting in 2020, Earth began breaking its records for the shortest day. That year, July 19 came in 1.47 milliseconds short. On July 9, 2021, there was a 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 rotation slowed slightly, and no new records were set. In 2024, however, the speed picked up again. 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 keeps time using Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC. Sometimes we add a leap second to stay in sync with Earth's slow shifts. If the Earth keeps rotating faster, experts may have to remove a second, called a negative leap second. It's never happened before.
