Did You Know : Tuesday was one of the shortest on record !

Earth spinning faster made Tuesday one of the shortest on record!

Tuesday 22 July 2025, was one of the shortest days on record, as planet Earth completed its full rotation in slightly less time than usual.

However, you probably didn't notice the difference, because the day was just 1.34 milliseconds less than the standard 24 hours.

But why and what was going on? Read on to find out more...

Normally, we think of the Earth taking 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds to rotate fully on its axis in a day.

However, this isn't an exact figure, as the speed of Earth's rotation depends on many factors, including the positions of the Sun and the Moon, and Earth's gravitational field.

Scientists have found that on average the Earth has been slowing down by about two milliseconds per century.

This means that 250 million years ago - when dinosaurs roamed the Earth - a day was shorter, at around 23 hours long.

A big factor in the slowing down of the rotation over many centuries is due to the pull of the Moon.

The Moon affects our planet's spin through something known as tidal braking.

This is when the gravitational pull from the Moon causes our planet to bulge (expand) in places, and this slows the momentum of the Earth's rotation.

In this case the Moon acts almost like a handbrake slowing down the Earth's spin.

The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) is constantly measuring the length of our days to a high level of accuracy.

Scientists use atomic clocks to monitor Earth's rotation with millisecond precision, and have been keeping records since 1972.

Since 2020, Earth has repeatedly broken its own speed records.

The shortest day ever measured occurred on 5 July 2024, when Earth's rotation was completed 1.66 milliseconds faster than usual.

According to the IERS, earlier this month, 9 July, was the shortest day recorded this year, clocking in at 1.36 milliseconds less than 24 hours.

Whilst, the 22 July 2025 - Earth completed its spin 1.34 milliseconds early, making it a close runner-up.

Above from article seen here 

Scientists also expect August 5th 2025 will be one of Earths shortest days, see here

~ enjoy the remainder of this month ~

This blog is presented in a magazine style. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes! However, not all the recipe ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan