(NewsNation) — July 9 might seem like an ordinary day on planet Earth. However, it could turn out to be the shortest day on record.
The Earth was rotating unusually fast Wednesday, making the day between 1.3 milliseconds shorter than the normal 24 hours, BBC reported.
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Earth has experienced a new shortest day on record each year since 2020. The previous record holder for the shortest day ever was July 5, 2024, which was 1.66 milliseconds shorter than the typical 24-hour day, according to Time and Date.
Scientists have been examining the issue and could even be forced to subtract a second from clocks, something referred to as a negative leap second, The Associated Press reported.
“This is an unprecedented situation and a big deal,” Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist at the University of California, San Diego, said in March 2024.
“It’s not a huge change in the Earth’s rotation that’s going to lead to some catastrophe or anything, but it is something notable. It’s yet another indication that we’re in a very unusual time.”
Per the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, the shortest day of the year could be July 9, July 22, or August 5. All of these days mark when the moon is farthest from the Earth.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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