A strange shift in Earth’s rotation is making our days 1.25 milliseconds shorter than usual on Tuesday, August 5. This anomaly is part of a puzzling trend where the planet’s rotation has been speeding up over recent years.
The solar day, or 24-hour period, measures from noon to noon and lasts 86,400 seconds. Scientists have predicted that three dates in 2025 – July 9, July 22, and August 5 – would be shorter than 24 hours due to the moon’s gravitational pull. However, it appears that this effect is not entirely caused by the moon.
A recent acceleration of Earth’s rotation rate has left scientists baffled. Theories suggest that global warming may be to blame, but experts believe that a slower liquid core causing the rest of the planet to spin faster is more likely to be responsible.
While the changes on August 5 won’t be noticeable, they are part of a larger trend that could lead to a negative leap second being added to the calendar by 2029. This would be the first time such an adjustment has been made.
Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/mysterious-boost-to-earths-spin-will-make-aug-5-one-of-the-shortest-days-on-record