Earth is spinning faster today and scientists question cause of our shortest days ever

July 9 will be one of the shortest days ever, as Earth is spinning faster and scientists are still working to understand why.

According to the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) the organization that continuously measures Earth's orientation in space and the length of days, our planet has been speeding up since 2020.

This year, IERS data predicts that July 9 and 22, and Aug. 5 are bound to be the shortest days of the year and among the shortest in history. It will not be something that people will notice, but if the trend continues, it could lead to significantly shorter days in over a million year.

However, the consensus among scientists is that the Earth will slow down again eventually. Acceleration, though, could continue for a few decades.

How fast is the Earth spinning?

July 9, 2025 will be 1.3 milliseconds shorter than average, IERS predicts.

Scientists are studying potential causes, something happening within our planet's core, melting polar ice m, or even a shift in the position of the Moon relative to the Earth, they have said.

Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Earth is spinning faster in July. How much faster?