Could days soon be 25 hours long? What scientists are saying
The 24-hour day we’re used to might not stay the same forever. Scientists say Earth’s rotation is gradually slowing down because the Moon is slowly moving away from us. Over a very long time– hundreds of millions of years– this could lead to days lasting 25 hours instead of 24.
Moon moving farther each year
A study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that the Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth, about 3.8 centimetres every year. While that might not seem like much, over millions of years, this small shift can have a big impact on how fast the Earth spins.
Tidal friction slowing Earth’s spin
Professor David Waltham from Royal Holloway, University of London, explains that Earth’s rotation is slowing down because of tidal forces. The Moon’s gravity pulls on Earth, creating tidal bulges. These bulges act like a brake, gradually slowing Earth’s spin. As this happens, some of that energy is transferred to the Moon, causing it to slowly move farther away from us.
Shorter days in Earth’s early past
According to a report presented by the Times of India, the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also sheds light on Earth’s ancient history. About 1.4 billion years ago, when the Moon was much closer to our planet, a day on Earth lasted just over 18 hours. Since then, as the Moon has gradually drifted away, the length of a day has slowly stretched to the 24 hours we’re familiar with today.
25-hour days, but not anytime soon
According to current estimates, Earth could have 25-hour days in about 200 million years. While this shift won’t affect our daily lives anytime soon, it’s a reminder of the slow but constant changes happening in our solar system.
A slow but steady transformation
Right now, the Moon is about 3,84,400 kilometres away from Earth on average and takes roughly 27.3 days to orbit our planet. This ongoing interaction between Earth and the Moon doesn’t just affect ocean tides– it also gradually changes how long our days and nights are.
The study highlights how even something as routine as the length of a day is shaped by slow-moving natural processes that have been unfolding for millions of years– and continue to do so even now.
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