The standard day on Earth consists of 24 hours, which is 1,440 minutes and 86,400 seconds.
However, shorter days are ahead in the next few weeks.
The rotation of the Earth changes due to several factors, includingthe positioning of the sun and moon, changes to Earth's magnetic field and the balance of mass on the planet.
As a result, July 9, July 22 and August 5 are expected to be a tad shorter than normal, according toAmy Arthur of Live Science. The reason is that the Earth will be spinning faster than normal. Graham Jones, an astrophysicist at the University of London, was the first to make the prediction with the July and August dates.
"Earth is expected to spin more quickly in the coming weeks, making some of our days unusually short. On July 9, July 22 and Aug. 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," Arthur wrote.
A standard day has86,400,000 milliseconds, so it won't be that much shorter.
For some perspective, the shortest ever day recorded was onJuly 5, 2024, and it was 1.66 milliseconds less than the 24-hour mark, according to timeanddate.com.
In the grand scheme of things, 1.5 milliseconds is nothing, but it is a rare occurrence.
Other things that can alter the Earth's rotation include earthquakes, glacial melting, core dynamics, jet streams and seasonal changes.
Related: Study Names Superfood You Should Be Eating More
Earth’s Rotation To Force Shorter Days This Summer. Here’s Why first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2025
