Did Today Feel Shorter? Earth's August 5 Rotation Shaved Off Over a Millisecond — Without You Even Noticing

Blink and you missed it, quite literally. Today, Earth spun faster than usual, racing through one of its shortest days since records began and trimming more than a millisecond off the clock. It was the third shortest day of the summer, yet almost no one noticed.

The planet's latest sprint ended about 1.3 milliseconds quicker than normal. To us, nothing felt different as alarms went off, traffic jams formed and coffee cups emptied as usual, but scientists say this tiny time loss is a sign of a strange and accelerating twist in Earth's rotation.

For centuries, our world's spin has been slowing. Now it is mysteriously speeding up, and no one knows why. As experts scramble for answers, they warn that this quiet shift could have big consequences for our future.

Earth's Rotation Speeds Up

Today, 5 August 2025, precision atomic clocks confirmed that Earth completed its rotation in less than 24 hours by about 1.25 to 1.51 milliseconds, according to the New York Post. This matched predictions from agencies including the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service and the US Naval Observatory.

Two other summer days, 9 July and 22 July, were also unusually short. The record, however, remains 5 July 2024, which lasted 1.66 milliseconds less than normal, the Post reported.

'The cause of this acceleration is not fully understood. Most scientists suspect it originates from within the Earth. Current ocean and atmospheric models do not account for this significant increase,' said Leonid Zotov, an Earth rotation expert at Moscow State University, in comments reported by the Post.

For now, the exact cause remains a topic for debate and investigation.

From Slowing Down to Speeding Up: What is the Reason?

Historically, Earth's spin was slowing, not speeding up. So, what changed? According to Space.com, some researchers point to the moon. Its shifting position can influence rotation rates, but this alone cannot explain the recent acceleration.

Other factors, such as melting ice caps and changes in global water distribution, move mass around the planet. Usually, this slows Earth rather than speeding it up.

Attention now turns to what is happening deep inside the planet. Many experts believe changes in the liquid core could be driving short-term accelerations.

'No one expected this. The cause of this acceleration is unexplained. Most scientists believe it is something within the Earth. Ocean and atmospheric models cannot explain this significant acceleration,' Zotov told the Post.

Judah Levine, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, told Space.com that the assumption had been Earth would continue slowing down, making leap seconds necessary. 'This effect is very surprising,' he said.

Negative Leap Second, Catastrophic Hurricanes and More

If the planet's rotation continues to speed up, the implications could extend far beyond scientific records. By 2029, a negative leap second might be required — meaning a second would be subtracted, not added, to atomic clocks — which would be a world first in timekeeping, according to Space.com.

Even a one-second change could disrupt computer networks, GPS, banking systems and stock markets, all of which depend on precise timing.

In a more extreme scenario, if days shortened to 22 hours, daily schedules would be upended. Circadian rhythms could be disrupted and extreme weather could follow. NASA astronomer Dr Sten Odenwald told the Post that such a shift could increase the risk of catastrophic hurricanes.

Beyond weather, disruptions to the human body clock could affect people's health and daily routines.

No Need to Worry... For Now

Should people be worried today? Probably not. The change is invisible — just milliseconds shorter — so clocks, habits and sleep remain unaffected. However, experts are watching closely. Small changes now could foreshadow bigger problems later, such as navigation issues, network glitches and health effects.

Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, called it 'an unprecedented situation and a big deal.' Researchers and agencies like IERS are monitoring the situation closely, working to predict and prepare for whatever comes next.