Keywords
- Also on July 22 and August 5, the position of the moon is expected to affect Earth’s rotation
- Each day will be between 1.3 and 1.51 milliseconds shorter than normal
- Earthquakes, volcanoes, subterranean geology can cause planet’s rotation to slow down or speed up
ISLAMABAD: Earth is expected to spin more quickly in the coming weeks, making some of our days unusually short.
On July 9, July 22 and August 5, the position of the moon is expected to affect Earth’s rotation so that each day is between 1.3 and 1.51 milliseconds shorter than normal.
EARTH JUST SPED UP – TOMORROW MAY BE THE SHORTEST DAY IN RECORDED HISTORY
Scientists are warning that today, July 9, could end faster than any day on record, thanks to the Earth spinning slightly faster than usual.
The planet is shaving off up to 1.5 milliseconds, with similar… pic.twitter.com/7uh8n7OrQe
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 9, 2025
A day on Earth is the length of time needed for our planet to rotate on its axis. But Earth’s rotation is affected by a number of things, including the positions of the sun and moon, changes to Earth’s magnetic field, and the balance of mass on the planet, according to Live Science.
Why is Earth’s rotation speed changing?
Planet Earth is our timekeeper, but it’s not perfect.
It takes our planet 24 hours 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.
Orbit of the moon
According to Yahoo News, 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 TimeandDate.com.
“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.
