else June 29And the Earth It set an unusual record: it was the shortest day since the 1960s, when scientists began measuring the planet’s rotation with high-precision atomic clocks.
As you know, in general, the Earth completes one revolution on its axis every 24 hours. This single turn represents a day: the cycle of day and night.
But June 29 was the exception: midnight came 1.59 milliseconds earlier than expected, according to a note in the British newspaper. guardian.
In recent years, short days have become more frequent.
In 2020, Earth has had 28 of the shortest days in the past 50 years, with the shortest, July 19, shaving 1.47 milliseconds out of the 86,400 seconds that make up 24 hours.
The record on June 29 was on the verge of breaking again last month, as July 26 It was 1.5 milliseconds less than normal.
Unbelievable speed
british daily telegraph On the other hand, he adds that The average rotational speed of the Earth generally decreases by the time.
In fact, scientists have been forced to add 27 leap seconds to the atomic time since the 1970s as the planet slowed down.
But since 2020, this phenomenon has been reversed: speed records have often been broken in the past two years.
“While the effect is too small to be observed by humans, it can accumulate over time, potentially affecting modern time-dependent satellite navigation and communication systems to be consistent with the traditional positions of the sun, moon, and stars,” adds the Journal.
The origin of this rotational speed
Scientists attribute the increase in the speed of the Earth’s rotation to a phenomenon known as “Shadler-Wubble”. The stated speed varies constantly due to the complex motion of its nuclei, oceans and atmosphere, as well as the influence of celestial bodies such as the Moon.
Tidal friction and the changing distance between the Earth and the Moon cause the planet’s rotational speed on its axis to change daily.
“Chandler Wobble” is the change in the Earth’s rotation about its axis and usually results in an increase in Earth’s rotation, which means it takes longer to complete one revolution. But in recent years, the rotation has become less volatile.
Dr. Leonid Zotov of the Sternberg Institute of Astronomy at Lomonosov Moscow State University believes this lack of oscillation may be behind the faster days, according to the report. Telegraph.
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