The day will last less than 24 hours

This Tuesday. Moreover, August 5, we will witness a phenomenon which is increasingly questioning scientists: while the rotation of the earth is accelerating, the day will last less than 24 hours.

1.25 Milliseconde less – Day will last less than

Above all, it is necessary to distinguish between a sidereal day and a solar day. Nevertheless, This comes from the fact that the earth turns on itself while advancing on its orbit around the sun. Nevertheless, Thus, a sidereal day corresponds to a complete rotation compared to the distant stars, or about 23 h 56 min.

A solar day. Similarly, it constitutes the time that the earth puts to find the same position compared to the sun in the sky, for example from noon to noon, that is to say 24 hours. Meanwhile, And it is precisely this one that begins to be altered by the acceleration of the rotation of the earth.

On day will last less than August 5, 2025, this solar day will therefore be 1.25 millisecond shorter than normal, which will make it the shortest day of the year. Two other dates have already recorded durations less than 24 hours this year: July 9 with 1.23 millisecond less and July 22 (–1.36 millisecond). But the recent record remains that of July 5, 2024, where the day had been shorted by 1.66 millisecond, an exceptional phenomenon since the start of precise measures in 1973.

Why such a change?

If these differences seem tiny and imperceptible in our daily life, they strongly intrigue the scientific community. Because. In theory, the rotation of the day will last less than earth should slow down very slowly over the centuries, under the effect of the moon ; By gradually moving away, our satellite exerts a tidal force which imperceptibly slows down the planet, thus lengthening the duration of the days.

However, for a few years, the opposite has occurred: our planet has turned slightly faster. A phenomenon that could be explained by a complex combination of internal and external factors. The movements of the liquid nucleus of the earth are evoked. as well as the effects of global warming, and more particularly the melting of the glaciers.

Concretely. the rise in the lands released from ice and the redistribution of water masses in the oceans can modify the distribution of the weight of the planet, subtly influencing its speed of rotation.

What does this change for us?

For the moment, these variations are too minimal to be felt in our daily lives. On the other hand. If the trend is maintained over several years, scientists could be forced, by 2029, to add for the first time a “ negative interlayer ».

This would amount to withdrawing a second from atomic clocks in order to re -order our official time on. the real rotation of the earth. Such a measure would indicate that current acceleration is not a simple punctual episode. but that it is strong enough to erase several decades of slowdown caused by the influence of the moon.

• August 5, 2025 will be the shortest day of the year, with 1.25 millisecond less than day will last less than 24 hours.
• The earth turns faster than before, when it should normally slow down under the effect of the moon.
• If this trend continues, a ” negative interlayer Could be added by 2029, a historic first.

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