June 29 was the shortest day ever recorded on Earth.

June 29, 2022 was the shortest day ever recorded on Earth.

It lasted 1.59 milliseconds less than usual, reports

in an article relayed by

.

Each day lasts an average of 86,400 seconds, but this number is far from immutable.

It varies very slightly, although it is impossible to realize this without measuring instruments as precise as atomic clocks.

Why did Wednesday June 29 end so “early”?

Probably because the Earth, which is not a uniformly smooth sphere, experienced a spin in its axis of rotation.

Our planet is not perfectly round and tends to take the shape of an ellipse.

Moreover, the movements of the tides, generated by the force of attraction of the Moon, contribute to make its rotation fluctuating.

One second less in 2026?

In recent years, the days have tended to get shorter.

According to scientists, the Earth is spinning faster and faster.

This could be related to "the processes of the inner or outer layers of the Earth, the oceans, the tides or even the climate", tries to explain the site Time and Date.

"Scientists aren't sure and struggle to make daylength predictions more than a year in advance."

If this trend is confirmed, it may be necessary to remove a whole second from the year 2026.

Planet

Heat waves, widespread drought, unprecedented fires... Are we living through the worst summer of our time?

Science

Space: James Webb Telescope Reveals Spectacular Image of Cartwheel Galaxy

• Science

• Earth

• Space