Very interesting. Not every day has the same length. Modern timekeeping defines a day as the sum of 24 hours, but that is not entirely correct. The Earth's rotation is not constant, so in terms of solar time, most days are a little longer or shorter than... Show moreVery interesting. Not every day has the same length. Modern timekeeping defines a day as the sum of 24 hours, but that is not entirely correct. The Earth's rotation is not constant, so in terms of solar time, most days are a little longer or shorter than that.
The Moon is, very gradually, slowing the Earth's rotation because of friction produced by tides. Over the course of a century, the length of a day increases by a couple of milliseconds (where 1 millisecond equals 0.001 seconds).
Within this general trend, however, there is fluctuation: sometimes the Earth spins a bit faster, sometimes a bit slower. Recently, our planet has been speeding up a little, making for slightly shorter days.
The Moon is, very gradually, slowing the Earth's rotation because of friction produced by tides. Over the course of a century, the length of a day increases by a couple of milliseconds (where 1 millisecond equals 0.001 seconds).
Within this general trend, however, there is fluctuation: sometimes the Earth spins a bit faster, sometimes a bit slower. Recently, our planet has been speeding up a little, making for slightly shorter days.