Latest news with #TimeandDate
21 hours ago
- Science
July 22 will be the second-shortest day of the year, scientists say
Tuesday, July 22 will be the second-shortest day of the year, as Earth completes a full rotation in less time than usual. The planet on Tuesday will experience a shorter rotation than the typical 24 hours, though not by much: 1.34 milliseconds less than usual, according to Typically, we think of the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere as Dec. 21 or 22, which coincides with the winter solstice – July 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere – which is the point at which the hemisphere is tilted farthest away from the sun. In those instances, however, it's only the number of hours of daylight that are affected, and not the length of time it takes for the Earth to make a full rotation on its axis. The 1.34-millisecond discrepancy in Tuesday's length is explained by differences in the gravitational pull between the Earth and the moon, which causes the Earth to spin more quickly, according to the Lunar and Planetary Institute. In recent years, Earth has broken its own speed records several times, including on July 5, 2024 – the shortest day ever measured, when the planet's full rotation was completed 1.66 milliseconds faster than usual, according to This year, July 10 was measured as the shortest day of the year, with a full rotation occurring 1.36 milliseconds faster than normal. Aug. 5 is expected to be the third-shortest day of the year, projected to be 1.25 milliseconds shorter than usual. Earth completes one full rotation on its axis in 24 hours, or about 86,400 seconds, plus or minus a millisecond or so, according to Before 2020, Earth's shortest length of day was just 1.05 milliseconds shorter than usual. If current trends continue, a full second may need to be subtracted from atomic clocks in the near future to accommodate for a "negative leap second," according to The system of leap seconds was introduced in the 1970s, according to Time and Date. While there have been dozens of positive leap seconds, in which a second was added, there has never been a negative leap second. The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, which monitor's the Earth's rotation, also determines whether to add or subtract a second. In its early days – about 4.5 billion years ago – Earth was spinning at a much faster rate, according to the Lunar and Planetary Institute. A full rotation only lasted between three and six hours. During the mid-Proterozoic period – between 2.5 billion years ago and 543 million years ago – the Earth had slowed such that a day lasted about 19 hours, according to a 2023 study published in Nature Geoscience. Since then, the length of an Earth day has slowed to its present 24 hours due to the fact that the moon's gravitational pull "steals" some of energy Earth uses to spin, in addition to causing tidal friction, according to the Institute. Additionally, climate change is causing days on Earth to become longer due to the melting of ice at the poles, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. As the poles melt, the redistribution of mass from the resulting sea-level rise also is increasing the length of a day, the researchers found.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Earth's rotation is speeding up for 2 more days this summer — including today
Technically speaking, these days will be shorter. Planet Earth is spinning a little faster today — and will spin a little faster one day next month, too. This will technically result in shorter days, but the change will be so minuscule you won't even notice. Several milliseconds will be shaved off of the 24 hours it takes for Earth to complete a full rotation — we're talking even less time than the blink of an eye. Why is Earth's rotation speed changing? Planet Earth is our timekeeper, but it's not perfect. It takes our planet 24 hours — one day — to complete one full rotation on its axis, which breaks down to 86,400 seconds. But Earth's rotation could change by a millisecond (.001 seconds) or two every day. The orbit of the moon can have an effect on how fast the Earth spins around. 'Our planet spins quicker when the moon's position is far to the north or south of Earth's equator,' according to 'Earthquakes, volcanoes, tidal forces, subterranean geology, and many other mechanisms can cause the planet's rotation to slow down or speed up, and those micro-adjustments can trend over time,' Popular Mechanics reported. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan in 2011 accelerated Earth's rotation, shortening the length of the standard 24-hour day by 1.8 microseconds (0.0018 milliseconds). These tiny day-to-day fluctuations in the Earth's spin speed began to be measured in the 1950s with atomic clocks. Any number above or below the standard 86,400 seconds is called the length of day (LOD). The shortest day recorded was on July 5, 2024, when Earth completed its full rotation 1.66 milliseconds faster than the standard 86,400 seconds. When will this happen? There are a total of three days this summer when the moon will be around its furthest distance from Earth's equator, resulting in a minuscule increase in the Earth's spin speed. One of them occurred on July 9, when the day was shortened by nearly 1.4 milliseconds. The remaining two days are predictions from scientists: July 22: Earth loses 1.38 milliseconds of the day Aug. 5: The day is shortened by 1.51 milliseconds Wait — isn't there another day that's considered the shortest of the year? What feels like the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere is known as the winter solstice, when Earth is tilted away from the sun at its maximum. This results in the fewest amount of daylight hours all year and occurs in mid-December. Will Earth always have 24 hours in a day? There weren't always 24 hours in a day. Researchers believe that in the Jurassic Period, it took Earth just 23 hours to make a complete rotation around its axis. Scientists have found that the length of a day on Earth is increasing each century by about 1.7 milliseconds. Over time, that adds up. Experts think that 200 million years from now, there will be 25 hours in a full day. Solve the daily Crossword
Mint
6 days ago
- Science
- Mint
Perseid meteor shower 2025: How and when to watch cosmic spectacle in India, UK and the United States
Stargazers can brace for an upcoming cosmic spectacle, 'the Perseid meteor shower." The stunning astronomical event that happens every year, began on Thursday, July 17, in India, the United States and UK, which will conclude on August 24. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), "The Perseids, which peaks in mid-August, is considered the best meteor shower of the year." The meteor shower will be visible as swift and bright lights moving in the sky leaving long 'wakes' of light and colour behind them. Named after Perseus constellation, the Perseids are made of tiny space debris from 'Swift-Tuttle' comet. Stargazers in the India can look forward to a spectacular celestial treat over the next five weeks. To watch the cosmic show in the night sky, there is no need for any special equipment as a it can be viewed with the naked eye. As the Perseid meteor shower streaks across the night sky up to 100 meteors per hour, it will peak between August 12 and 13, according to Time and Date. Astronomy enthusiasts across the Unitel States will be able to catch a glimpse of the celestial wonder until August 24, Time and Date reported. Set to peak on the night of August 12 into the early morning of August 13, stargazers must find a secluded viewing spot to view up to 50 to 75 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, American Meteor Society Operations Manager, Michael Hankey, informed USA TODAY. The American Meteor Society's newsletter editor Robert Lunsford suggested that this year's showers' peak will not meet ideal conditions because the moon will be too bright, USA TODAY reported. The widely sought after meteor shower is active until August 24 but its peak time will be on the night of August 12 into the early morning of August 13. The best direction to look into the sky is of Perseus constellation, which is known as the radiant, this is where the celestial show appears to originate. Dark and clear sky, away from the pollution of cities with a wide unobstructed view is ideal condition for the best viewing experience. To spot a meteor in the northern hemisphere, the best time is between midnight and an hour before sunrise.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
July 9 might be shortest day in history
(NewsNation) — July 9 might seem like an ordinary day on planet Earth. However, it could turn out to be the shortest day on record. The Earth was rotating unusually fast Wednesday, making the day between 1.3 and 1.6 milliseconds shorter than the normal 24 hours, New York Post reported. Buck Moon, 'Swift Planet' and more: How to enjoy July's night sky events Earth has experienced a new shortest day on record each year since 2020. The previous record holder for the shortest day ever was July 5, 2024, which was 1.66 milliseconds shorter than the typical 24-hour day, according to Time and Date. Scientists have been examining the issue and could even be forced to subtract a second from clocks, something referred to as a negative leap second, The Associated Press reported. 'This is an unprecedented situation and a big deal,' Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist at the University of California, San Diego, said in March 2024. '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.' The Moon has always indistinctly affected the planet's spin through tidal braking. This leads to the Moon's gravitational pull causing our planet to bulge, as well as creating the tides, and resulting in Earth slowing down by around 2 milliseconds per century. Per the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, the shortest day of the year could be July 9, July 22, or August 5. All of these days mark when the moon is farthest from the Earth. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Earth Is Spinning Faster—Here's Why July and August Will Have Record-Short Days
While the shortest day of the year typically falls in winter, summer will have its fair share of abnormally short days this year. According to TimeandDate, Earth will spin unusually fast in July and August, resulting in shorter days. From the point of view of the sun, it takes Earth roughly 86,400 seconds (24 hours) to complete one full rotation. This changes slightly from day to day, and these small variations are measured with atomic clocks. The number of milliseconds above or below 86,400 seconds is referred to as length of day. Until 2020, the shortest length of day ever recorded was -1.05 milliseconds, meaning it took the Earth 1.05 milliseconds less than 86,400 seconds to complete one rotation. Since then, Earth has beaten this record every year, with the shortest day of all being -1.66 milliseconds. This month,TimeandDate reports that Earth will get close to its previous record. On July 9, the length of date is expected to be -1.30 milliseconds, followed by -1.38 milliseconds on July 22 and -1.51 milliseconds on August 5. "Nobody expected this," Leonid Zotov, a leading authority on Earth rotation at Moscow State University, told the outlet. "The cause of this acceleration is not explained." Zotov added that most scientists believe it is something inside the Earth. "Ocean and atmospheric models don't explain this huge acceleration," he said. Despite this acceleration, Zotov predicts that Earth will slow down soon. "I think we have reached the minimum," he told TimeandDate. "Sooner or later, Earth will decelerate." In the meantime, scientists will continue to study the reason behind Earth's length of day variations. Read the original article on Martha Stewart
