Earth's Days Shorten as Rotation Speeds Up in 2025
Earth experienced one of its shortest days on record on July 9, 2025, due to the moon's gravitational effects, with two more such days expected this summer. This phenomenon is linked to the moon's position and gravitational pull, which can temporarily speed up Earth's rotation. Scientists monitor these variations using atomic clocks, and if the trend continues, it could lead to the need for a negative leap second to keep civil time aligned with Earth's rotation.