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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Planetar

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    Default Planet Earth speeds up

    Even the Planet wanted 2020 over with , I guess.

    Quote Originally Posted by livescience
    The 28 fastest days on record (since 1960) all occurred in 2020, with Earth completing its revolutions around its axis milliseconds quicker than average. That's not particularly alarming — the planet's rotation varies slightly all the time, driven by variations in atmospheric pressure, winds, ocean currents and the movement of the core. But it is inconvenient for international timekeepers, who use ultra-accurate atomic clocks to meter out the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by which everyone sets their clocks. When astronomical time, set by the time it takes the Earth to make one full rotation, deviates from UTC by more than 0.4 seconds, UTC gets an adjustment.

    ...

    according to Time and Date, the recent acceleration in Earth's spin has scientists talking for the first time about a negative leap second. Instead of adding a second, they might need to subtract one. That's because the average length of a day is 86,400 seconds, but an astronomical day in 2021 will clock in 0.05 milliseconds shorter, on average. Over the course of the year, that will add up to a 19 millisecond lag in atomic time.

    "It's quite possible that a negative leap second will be needed if the Earth's rotation rate increases further, but it's too early to say if this is likely to happen," physicist Peter Whibberley of the National Physics Laboratory in the U.K., told The Telegraph. "There are also international discussions taking place about the future of leap seconds, and it's also possible that the need for a negative leap second might push the decision towards ending leap seconds for good."
    Respectfully,

    Brian P.
    Last edited by pendell; 2021-01-06 at 12:54 PM.
    "Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid."

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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Rockphed's Avatar

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    Default Re: Planet Earth speeds up

    The earth's rotation is generally slowing down because of the tides, right? Have they identified any specific causes of the speed up, or is it just vague categories?
    Quote Originally Posted by Wardog View Post
    Rockphed said it well.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Starfall
    When your pants are full of crickets, you don't need mnemonics.
    Dragontar by Serpentine.

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    DwarfClericGuy

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    Default Re: Planet Earth speeds up

    Quote Originally Posted by Rockphed View Post
    The earth's rotation is generally slowing down because of the tides, right? Have they identified any specific causes of the speed up, or is it just vague categories?
    Multiple factors can affect the Earth's rotational speed.

    I believe one reason they're talking about is the weight of glaciers, which have been melting off. When you have untold tons of weight no longer in one spot, and distributing itself throughout, that changes the shape of the earth.
    May you get EXACTLY what you wish for.

  4. - Top - End - #4

    Default Re: Planet Earth speeds up

    We're also affected by the slowly expanding orbit of our moon.

  5. - Top - End - #5
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    Kobold

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    Default Re: Planet Earth speeds up

    Quote Originally Posted by Rogar Demonblud View Post
    We're also affected by the slowly expanding orbit of our moon.
    isnt that the tides?

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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Rockphed's Avatar

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    Default Re: Planet Earth speeds up

    Quote Originally Posted by Rydiro View Post
    isnt that the tides?
    That is what I meant when I mentioned it, yes. My understanding is that the Earth transfers rotational momentum to the moon via the tides, which causes the moon to move farther away and the Earth to spin slower.
    Quote Originally Posted by Wardog View Post
    Rockphed said it well.
    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Starfall
    When your pants are full of crickets, you don't need mnemonics.
    Dragontar by Serpentine.

    Now offering unsolicited advice.

  7. - Top - End - #7

    Default Re: Planet Earth speeds up

    Which will eventually lead to us being tidelocked together.

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    DwarfClericGuy

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    Default Re: Planet Earth speeds up

    Quote Originally Posted by Rogar Demonblud View Post
    Which will eventually lead to us being tidelocked together.
    The moon's already tidally locked.

    Now, I suppose you're thinking it'd become geosynchronous?
    May you get EXACTLY what you wish for.

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGuy

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    Default Re: Planet Earth speeds up

    Maybe Earth is trying to shake us off?
    "If it lives it can be killed.
    If it is dead it can be eaten."

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  10. - Top - End - #10
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Griffon

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    Default Re: Planet Earth speeds up

    Quote Originally Posted by sihnfahl View Post
    The moon's already tidally locked.

    Now, I suppose you're thinking it'd become geosynchronous?
    in the near term that is very unlikely, the Moon's orbit is getting wider.

    The Earth's days are generally becoming longer (which is why them getting shorter is a change and interesting). Eventually, there may come a time of mutual tidelocking, or geosyncronicity, when the Earth's days are longer than a current month, but that will take many millions of years, maybe many billions, it's quite possible the sun will go red giant before that happens.
    The end of what Son? The story? There is no end. There's just the point where the storytellers stop talking.

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