Summary
Scientists predict that July 22, 2025, will be slightly shorter than a normal day, by about a millisecond. This is due to small changes in Earth's rotation, which are influenced by factors like weather and movements inside the planet. The idea of potentially needing to remove a second from the official time has been raised due to recent short days, but it is considered unlikely.
Key Facts
- Scientists say July 22, 2025, will be about a millisecond shorter than a typical 24-hour day.
- Earth's rotation can change due to weather, tides, and movements inside Earth.
- The organization tracking Earth's rotation is the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service.
- The shortest day recently was July 5, 2024, which was 1.65 milliseconds shorter than usual.
- Earth’s rotation has been gradually slowing due to the moon's gravitational pull causing ocean tides.
- In the past, extra seconds called "leap seconds" were added to keep time accurate.
- Recent faster rotations raise the idea of removing a second, called "negative leap seconds," though this has never been done.
