An astrophysicist warns that the Earth’s rotation is speeding up, so in a few weeks we may see the shortest day in history. Goodbye to 24-hour days. Our planet has been spinning faster than usual since 2020, and the next record is on the horizon. The next shortest day will occur on one of three dates: July 9, July 22, or August 5, 2025, according to astrophysicist Graham Jones, who is researching this phenomenon.
The real question is why this is happening, even though the day will only be cut short by 1.66 milliseconds—less than a blink. Despite a number of theories, the cause is still unknown. It’s interesting to note that until 2020, Earth’s rotation was progressively slowing down; astronomers were perplexed when the acceleration started.
Although Earth’s rotation has never been entirely consistent, a solar day should last precisely 86,400 seconds, or 24 hours. The planet appeared to be slowing down for a while because of tidal friction brought on by the Moon’s gravity. However, in 2020, the Earth began to spin more quickly. A day was 1.47 milliseconds shorter in 2021, 1.59 milliseconds shorter in 2022, and 1.31 milliseconds shorter in 2023. Since then, record after record has been set. On July 5, 2024, the day was 1.66 milliseconds shorter than normal, setting an absolute record.
These minute changes are detected by atomic clocks, which are able to measure time with remarkable precision. These minor differences would probably go unnoticed without them.
Although the precise cause is unknown, the dates projected for 2025 align with times when the Moon is furthest from the equator in its orbit, which could have an impact on the rotation of our planet. Although it hasn’t been verified yet, this might be a contributing factor.
Two milliseconds might not seem like much, but in industries like technology and telecommunications, where every second counts, it’s vital. Systems for global synchronisation depend on accuracy, and even small adjustments could have unanticipated effects.
In roughly 50 billion years, Earth’s rotation will synchronise with the Moon’s orbit, and there won’t be any more tides, according to scientists, if this acceleration keeps up. Surfing will eventually become extinct, and we will always see the same side of the moon. Don’t worry, though; we won’t be present to see this. Regarding humanity’s future, it’s reasonable to assume that our researchers will have discovered answers—possibly on a different planet—should such an occurrence ever arise. We have plenty of time before we have to worry about the Earth’s rotation, so for the time being, we don’t need to!
