Will we lose time on July 9? Midweek day losing time; here's why
Here's why several milliseconds will be shaved off the clock on Wednesday, and when you can expect the phenomenon to occur again.
It takes roughly 86,400 seconds for Earth to complete a full rotation. The measuring of that rotation will cause an actual loss of time on Wednesday, July 9.
"86,400 seconds is another way of saying 24 hours. A millisecond is 0.001 seconds—considerably less than a blink of an eye, which lasts around 100 milliseconds," read Time and Date's website. "The only way to measure these tiny day-to-day variations in Earth's spin speed is with atomic clocks, which were introduced in the 1950s. The number of milliseconds above or below 86,400 seconds is known as length of day (LOD)."
The LOD has sped up over the decades, leaving to a shortening of days which will be most evident during three days in 2025.
"Until 2020, the shortest LOD ever recorded by atomic clocks was -1.05 ms. This means that Earth completed one rotation with respect to the Sun in 1.05 milliseconds less than 86,400 seconds," read Time and Date's explanation. "Since then, however, Earth has managed to shatter this old record every year by around half a millisecond. The shortest day of all was -1.66 ms on July 5, 2024.
"Earth is expected to get close to this again around July 9, July 22, and August 5."
From Quarks to Quasars explained Wednesday's loss of time in a lengthy Facebook post:
Moscow State University researcher Leonid Zotov said scientists haven't yet pinned down exactly what was causing the disparity in the time of Earth's rotation, but he expected Earth's rotation to regulate soon.
"In other words, we're not traveling back toward back toward the Mesozoic in terms of rotation," noted Popular Mechanics. "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."
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Earth's rotation shortens the day on July 9; what happens on Wednesday
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
4 hours ago
- Business Wire
Zhejiang Qingshanhu Science & Technology City Administration Committee Hosts China-Kazakhstan Sci-Tech Cooperation Symposium
BUSINESS WIRE)--Recently, the International Seminar on Industry-Education Integration and Sustainable Development of the National Academy of Sciences directly under the President of Kazakhstan, hosted by the Zhejiang Qingshanhu Science & Technology City Administration Committee, was held at the Qingshanhu Park of Zhejiang Zhonghe Technology in Qingshanhu Science & Technology City, Hangzhou, China. Guided by the cooperation blueprint outlined at the first China–Central Asia Summit in 2023, China and Kazakhstan are accelerating practical cooperation across multiple fields, including science and technology. At the symposium, representatives from both China and Kazakhstan held in-depth discussions on topics such as policy orientation, industrial demand, educational resource integration, and intelligent transportation. Akylbek Kurishbayev, President of the National Academy of Sciences directly under the President of Kazakhstan, introduced in detail the Spatial-Temporal Intelligence Laboratory, which was jointly established in February 2025 with Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhonghe Technology, and other institutions. The laboratory adopts an integrated industry–academia–research–application model, focusing on the research and development of key technologies including intelligent early warning, smart agriculture, intelligent logistics, and new energy. It also aims to jointly cultivate digital professionals in collaboration with several universities in Kazakhstan. As part of this initiative, an unveiling ceremony for the Strategic Partner of the International College of Low-Altitude Economy under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology was held, marking a commitment to building a strong talent pipeline for the lab's future development. As the birthplace of the Hangzhou West Sci-Tech Innovation Corridor and the main platform of Lin'an District's 'industry-strengthening' strategy, Qingshanhu Science & Technology City has been actively advancing the integrated development of strategic emerging industries focused on new equipment, new materials, and big health. It is seizing new opportunities in the intelligent robotics sector while continuously optimizing its innovation and entrepreneurship policies and financial service infrastructure. The city has already attracted 31 research institutes, 6 national key laboratories, 511 enterprises above designated size, and 522 nationally recognized high-tech enterprises.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Earth is about to break its own speed record—here's why
The Earth is pretty good at keeping its pace. However, variations do happen. And on three separate days this summer—July 9, July 22, and August 5—the Earth will spin notably faster than usual. What is fractional leadership, and why is it booming now? It's not just Bitcoin: Altcoin XRP's price is also rising. Here's a possible reason why Slurpee Day 2025: How to get your free frozen treat at 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes today Of course, you're not likely to feel dizzy or notice the shift at all, but scientists are well aware of it. They say that over a 24-hour period, the Earth's rotation will take a few milliseconds less than it usually does—about 1.3 to 1.51 milliseconds less, to be exact. It's faster than the blink of an eye or a heartbeat, but it's significant, either way. Twenty-four hours (86,400 seconds), or a full day, is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate fully on its axis. That exact rotation speed depends on a number of factors, including the Earth's mass, as well as its distance from the moon. With the moon closer to the poles, the Earth's spin speeds up. On the days the Earth's rotation is set to speed up, the moon will be at its farthest distance from Earth's equator, altering the impact of its gravitational pull on Earth's axis. Richard Holme, a geophysicist at the University of Liverpool, said, per Live Science: 'There is more land in the Northern Hemisphere than the Southern. In northern summer, the trees get leaves. This means that mass is moved from the ground to above the ground—farther away from the Earth's spin axis.' Thus, it will spin faster. Interestingly, while the Earth had been gradually speeding up on the regular, climate change has impacted the Earth's rotation in a major way. It's actually caused it to slow down. A 2024 study published in Nature pointed to the melting of the polar ice caps as a significant factor in the Earth's decelerated pace. At the time, professor Duncan Agnew of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the author of the study, explained the phenomenon by using the example of a skater spinning on ice. 'If they hold their arms out, their spinning is slower. But if they bring [their arms] into their body, then they speed up. This demonstrates the conservation of angular momentum, a principle which applies to all spinning objects, including the Earth.' Agnew continued: 'As polar ice melts, the water spreads out over the whole ocean, causing the same effect as the skater spreading their arms out—the Earth slows down. More rapid melting would slow the Earth more rapidly, opposing the speedup that has been seen in recent years.' Experts began measuring the speed at which the Earth rotates in the 1950s. While variations in speed are not uncommon, the shortest day ever recorded happened just last year on July 5, 2024. On that day, the Earth completed its full rotation 1.66 milliseconds faster than usual. Experts believe July 9, 2025, may break the previously set record. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Forbes
Design Was Key When Building This Revolutionary Bioscience Company
Ben Lamm Ben Lamm CEO of Colossal Biosciences, Ben Lamm, is focused on is finding a new way, beyond the tried and true strategies of conservation, to stop the extinction of up to fifty percent of all animal species by 2050 — a figure released by the IUCN that could have damaging long term impacts for humanity. Lamm and his team have most famously brought back the mythical direwolf from extinction and created a woolly mouse, but not without a slew of controversy. 'Listen, if everyone liked what we are doing then I would think that we weren't trying hard enough to deliver the breakthrough technology the planet needs,' Lamm said. 'I'm not everyone's flavor, but I don't have to be. The problem is the focus, not making everyone happy,' A board member of the famed Explorer's Club, Lamm is known for his wild ideas which are primarily focused on addressing planetary dangers, bringing what was once considered fringe science to the forefront. 'Everything was fringe science at one point. Microwave ovens; electric cars; the internet,' he explained. 'We don't need to be afraid of fringe ideas. What we should be afraid of is when we stop entertaining fringe ideas and instead double down on only those technologies and solutions that have only worked in the past that we know don't scale or will eventually fail,' And while Lamm revolutionized the world of science and nature while building up his business to become the success it is today, design has been fundamental in each step of the way. 'Design was fundamental to creating Colossal. We knew that if we were successful in our mission, that Colossal had the chance of inspiring the next generation of scientists and conservationists, he explained. 'We really wanted a brand that was approachable to all, fun, educational and full of energy. We settled on this idea that we wanted to build a brand that was old school MTV-meets-Harvard. Since we are creating and evolving life, we wanted that energy to flow through the creative and even colors and copy we chose,' Colossal Biosciences When developing Colossal's digital presence, Lamm and the design team, which consists of an internal creative team and partner agencies, wanted to make something that tied back to CRISPR and genome engineering. 'That is where the Colossal "C" came from. We then really focused on the color palette and messaging to create the 'science streetwear' vibe that the brand evokes,' Lamm said. 'This had to flow through to everything from copy to apparel to web to social and all the content we create,' According to Lamm, part of the job of anyone who wants to educate younger generations on hard science or systems involves distilling the information into core concepts and find a way to present those concepts in a digestible fashion. 'We are now in the attention economy and science has to compete with the latest celebrity gossip, fashion trend or meme,' he explained. 'We need to create content in a way that excites the next generation about science and gives them hope for the future,' Ben Lamm And the company's eye-catching design and inspiring content is working, as hundreds of young people have written to Colossal to express their admiration for the company. 'We get letters from kids inspired by our work — our science, conservation efforts, and commitment to bettering the planet,' explained Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer at Colossal. "I worry about them losing hope when they see how women in science are often treated.' MORE FROM FORBES Forbes This Female Scientist Brought The Dire Wolf Back From Extinction By Emma Kershaw Forbes The Science Of De-Extinction Is Providing Hope For Nature's Future By Emma Kershaw Forbes Billionaire Eugene Shvidler Revealed As The Artist Behind ES23 By Emma Kershaw
