Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: Although the Earth completes one full rotation in 86,400 seconds on average, that spin fluctuates by a millisecond or two every day. Before 2020, the ...

Earth spun just a bit faster than usual on July 9 and is expected to do so again on July 22 and Aug. 5, according to the website TimeAndDate. Over a millisecond was reportedly shaved off the clock on ...

On those three days, just over a millisecond is expected to be shaved off the standard 24-hour day. Of course, you're unlikely to notice such a miniscule difference in your day. But scientists who ...

Earth takes 24 hours to complete a full rotation in a standard day, equal to exactly 86,400 seconds. July 9 was the first of three days in which a millisecond or more could be shaved off the clock on ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky. Earth could be about to record its fastest-ever rotation.

Earth’s Rotation Day 2026, observed on January 8, highlights how Earth’s constant rotation shapes day and night, climate, weather, and life itself, celebrating science, discovery, and human curiosity.