The Earth is having shorter days
Randy Mann.
JAKE PARRISH/Press
Our planet has been spinning a little faster than usual and this trend is expected to continue into early August. On July 9, it’s estimated that the day was about 1.3 to 1.6 milliseconds shorter, based on the planet’s rotation. According to an article on space.com, July 22 and Aug. 5 should also have shorter days. One of the shortest days in recent history happened June 29, 2022, when the Earth completed its full one-day rotation in 1.59 milliseconds less than 24 hours.
The Earth’s spin does fluctuate on a day-to-day basis primarily due to gravitational forces from the moon. Based on data from atomic clocks, our length of day has increased by an average of 1.7 milliseconds compared to a century ago. Historical astronomical records show that the Earth’s length of day has also increased by about 2.3 milliseconds since the eighth century.
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