Earth Could Have 25 Hours in A Day; Here's BRIN Explanation

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) have disclosed the astronomical phenomenon causing the Moon's gradual movement away from Earth, which is predicted to lead to a longer day on our planet from 24 to 25 hours.

Thomas Djamaluddin, a BRIN Astronomy and Astrophysics Researcher, explained that the interaction between the Earth, Moon, and Sun is responsible for this phenomenon. “As a result, the Earth's rotation will slow down, the Moon will recede, and its revolution around the Earth will also slow down or its period will get longer,” Thomas said in Jakarta on Friday, August 30, 2024, as reported by Antara. 

He noted that the Moon moves away from Earth by approximately 3.5 centimeters each year. This causes the Earth's rotation to decelerate by 0.002 seconds per century. Consequently, the length of a day on Earth increases by only two seconds every 100,000 years.

Regarding the increase in the duration of a day from 24 hours to 25 hours, Thomas stated that it is likely to occur in the next 180 million years. Therefore, the impact of the Moon's shift away from Earth will not be felt by humans for a very long time. “The impact will only be noticeable billions of years from now,” he concluded.

ANTARA

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