science

Why Is Earth's Rotation Actually Slowing Down?

šŸ’” The Answer

  • Earth's rotation is gradually decelerating due to tidal friction caused by the Moon's gravitational pull.
  • On average, the length of a day increases by approximately 1.8 seconds every century.
  • Around 600 million years ago, a full day lasted only 21 hours instead of 24.
  • This slowdown also causes the Moon to drift slightly further from Earth each year.

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