Bye, bye to 24 hour days

If you are one of those who asked for longer days, know that the universe has heard you. He will give us 25-hour days and the 24-hour days will go down in history. It is not a matter of whim. The reality is that it is a natural evolution. In fact, 300 million years ago, 22 hours defined a day, there are even records of 19. A measurement that has been growing very slowly, until reaching the current day. Now, a group of researchers from the Technical University of Munich (Germany) affirms that we are already on our way to 60 extra minutes and, in addition, they dare to set a date.

The scientific explanation? To begin with, we know that the course of a day is measured by the time it takes our planet to rotate once on itself, around its axis (north-south). These are the hours of light and the hours of darkness of each of our days. Precisely because this rotation has been gradually slowing down, the time each day has been increasing.

Moon Gravitation

According to experts, there are several factors that cause this slowdown, such as the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun, the movements of materials inside the Earth, ocean tides or atmospheric circulation.

Taking into account all known elements and possible fluctuations, the group of scientists created an advanced technology (optical ring laser interferometer) to determine the variations in the rotation speed of our planet (with a precision of milliseconds) and in this way , confirm if we are indeed walking towards 25 hours and when we will be able to enjoy them.

Slowdown of the Earth

It will not happen tomorrow nor will our great-great-grandchildren or our quad-grandchildren or tetra-grandchildren see it… It will happen progressively. Right now, we’re not even at exactly 24 hours. We meet at 23 hours and 56 minutes. According to the results of the German study, the Earth’s rotation changes around 1.7 milliseconds per century. That is, we will reach 25 hours of work in about 200 million years.

It should be remembered that it was with the formation of the Moon that our planet stopped rotating in just six hours. The Law of Universal Gravitation has a direct impact and this is explained in an article published in the magazine ‘Science Advances‘ Astrophysicist Norman Murray: “If between 2,600 and 2,000 million years ago, a day on Earth lasted 19.5 hours and has been extending, this means that over the years, days will reach 25 hours” .

Although we will not live it, the truth is that the questions that the universe poses to us are infinite. Nothing is definitive, least of all time. We do not know how it will affect future lives or what impact it will have on our ecosystems.

Ambientum Editorial