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How Earth’s speedy rotation has caused a timekeeping conundrum

Peter Fegan
Article image for How Earth’s speedy rotation has caused a timekeeping conundrum

Earth has seen its shortest day since the dawn of atomic clocks after completing one spin a little fast.

Experts say on June 29, the planet completed its spin 1.59 milliseconds less than 24 hours.

It comes just days after Earth shaved 1.50 milliseconds off 24 hours on July 26.

Astrophysicist Brad Tucker told Gary & Mark for years, the 24-hour rotation had actually been slowing down.

“It’s actually that every few years we gain a couple of milliseconds,” he said. “[It] means that every few years or so, we actually add a second – a leap second!”

But with our rotations speeding up again, timekeepers may need to create the first ever negative leap second.

Press PLAY below to hear Brad Tucker explain

Image: Getty

Peter Fegan
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