The earth's 24- hour day might extend: Towards a 25-hour day!

Currently, a day on Earth lasts 24 hours, a fact we all know. However, scientists have predicted that this length of time will change in the distant future. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich in Germany and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the USA have studied the gradual slowdown of Earth’s rotation. Their research suggests that over time, the Earth's rotation will continue to slow, eventually making a day last 25 hours.

Also Read:Chang’e-6 discovers negative ions on Moon’s far side

The main reason behind this change is the Moon, Earth’s natural satellite. The Moon is moving away from Earth at an average rate of about 3.8 centimeters every year. This movement reduces the gravitational pull between the Earth and the Moon, causing subtle changes in the Earth's rotation. The Moon’s gravitational force also influences tides in Earth's oceans, and these tides exert a drag on Earth’s rotation, further slowing it down. Climate change also plays a role, affecting the distribution of mass on Earth and contributing to the deceleration of the planet’s spin.

Scientists have used advanced technology called "ring lasers" to measure these tiny changes in Earth's rotation. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Earth's day length has changed. About 1.4 billion years ago, the Moon was much closer to Earth, and our planet rotated much faster. Back then, a day lasted only around 18 hours. As the Moon gradually drifted away from Earth, the rotation slowed, causing days to lengthen.

According to researchers, it could take about 200 million years for the Earth to complete the transition to a 25-hour day. While this won’t happen in our lifetimes, it’s a fascinating insight into the natural evolution of our planet's rotation.