Earth’s Rotation Speeds Up: Days Shorten in July and August

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The cause is still under investigation. While changes in the Earth–Moon gravitational system explain much of the variation, some scientists speculate internal shifts in Earth’s core or surface mass redistribution from melting glaciers may also contribute.

Experts emphasize that timing errors, even of a millisecond, can affect satellite positioning by hundreds of kilometers. High-frequency trading, nuclear synchronization, and even spacecraft navigation all depend on split-second accuracy. If necessary, global systems will need to update software and hardware to remain synchronized.