Today, July 22, is going to be one of the shortest days on record, with Earth covering a full rotation in a little less time than usual.
Even though the difference will only be 1.34 milliseconds shorter than the typical 24-hour day, it is a part of a puzzling pattern in Earth's rotational behavior that has been developing in recent years. If this trend persists, atomic clocks may need to deduct a second in 2029, a phenomenon known as a negative leap second, which has never been done before.
Shortest Day in the World
According to Timeanddate.com, since the beginning of timekeeping (when the atomic clock was invented) in 1973 until 2020, the shortest day ever recorded was 1.05 milliseconds shorter than 24 hours. However, Earth has broken its own speed records several times since 2020. On July 5, 2024, Earth's rotation was completed 1.66 milliseconds faster than usual, making it the shortest day ever recorded.
According to scientists, the shortest days of the year may occur on July 9, July 22, and August 5 in 2025. But according to fresh data, July 10 was the shortest day of 2025 thus far, measuring 1.36 milliseconds less than 24 hours. Earth is predicted to finish its spin 1.34 milliseconds ahead of schedule on July 22, placing it in second place. If current estimates hold, Aug. 5 will be around 1.25 milliseconds shorter than the usual, placing July 22 as the second-shortest day of the year.
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Why are the Days becoming Longer?
The Earth's rotational speed is not constant. In the past, a day was significantly shorter than the 24 hours (86,400 seconds) that we are used to now. A 2023 study found that over a large portion of Earth's early history, a day lasted roughly 19 hours because of a balance between lunar ocean tides and solar atmospheric tides.
On the other hand, the length of a day on Earth has steadily increased over time. It has been progressively moving away from Earth due to tidal friction from the moon, which has been the main reason. The moon drains Earth's rotational energy as it moves away, slowing down the planet's rotation and lengthening its days.
There are indications that the acceleration might be slowing down. The underlying cause of the recent rotational adjustments is yet unknown, although the rate at which the duration of the days is decreasing seems to be slowing.
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Mystery of the Earth’s Speed
According to Leonid Zotov, a prominent expert in Earth rotation at Moscow State University, "the cause of this acceleration is not explained," as reported by Timeanddate.com. "The majority of scientists think it originates from within the Earth. This enormous acceleration cannot be explained by ocean and atmospheric models.
According to Zotov, the Earth's rotation might soon slow down once more. If he is correct, this abrupt acceleration might only be a brief exception from the planet's long-term trend toward longer days and slower spin.
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