Scientists have found that the Earth is rotating slightly faster than before, which may lead to a negative leap second in 2029. This news comes as major landmarks around the world turn off their lights for Earth Hour, an event aimed at raising awareness about environmental issues.
The study was led by Duncan Agnew, who explained that while this change in Earth’s rotation won’t cause catastrophic events, it is still significant. The researchers believe that the increased speed of Earth’s rotation is due to melting ice at the poles, which has delayed the need for a negative leap second by about three years. Despite this delay, experts are confident that a negative leap second will occur in the near future.
Melting ice at the poles has also affected other aspects of our planet’s dynamics. Agnew calculated that without its influence, a negative leap second would have been necessary in 2026 instead of 2029. This development highlights an unusual period in terms of Earth’s rotation.
Meanwhile, as people around the world participate in Earth Hour and turn off their lights for an hour, they are raising awareness about environmental issues and encouraging others to take action to protect our planet. The potential need for a negative leap second serves as a reminder of how important it is to understand and address these issues head-on.