On Wednesday, Earth experienced the shortest day on record — about 1.3 to 1.6 milliseconds shorter than the standard 24 hours — due to a slight acceleration in its rotation, influenced by the Moon’s position.
Scientists note this is part of an ongoing trend since 2020, with notably short days also predicted on July 22nd and August 5th. The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) anticipates issuing a negative leap second by 2029 to correct for these irregularities.
Geophysicist Duncan Agnew described the phenomenon as “an unprecedented situation and a big deal,” while assuring it won’t cause a catastrophe.
Though imperceptible to humans, such millisecond shifts are critical for atomic clocks, GPS, and digital networks.