Why August 5 Could Be One of the Shortest Days in History
Elena Martinez
2 months agoA Day That’s Just a Bit Shorter
If you feel like August 5 flies by faster than usual, you may not be imagining it. Scientists predict that this day could be 1.34 milliseconds shorter than the standard 24 hours, making it one of the shortest days of the year.
A “standard” day is defined as the time it takes Earth to complete one full rotation—86,400 seconds. But the planet’s spin isn’t perfectly constant, and even tiny shifts can make a day slightly shorter or longer.
The current record for the shortest day belongs to July 5, 2024, which was 1.66 milliseconds shorter than the norm. This year’s July 10 also came close, at 1.37 milliseconds shorter.