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Us-Nasa-Earth-Longest Zday
This 1972 NASA photo shows a view of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 astronauts. NASA announced 22 January, 2002 that all days are not created equal. The summer solstice, 21 June, when the period between sunrise and sunset is the longest in the northern hemisphere, is actually not the longest day ever recorded. The longest day in the past century occurred sometime during 1912, according to JPL geophysicist Dr. Richard Gross. The shortest day in the past 100 years was 02 August, 2001, when the length of time that it took Earth to make one complete turn on its axis actually dipped below 24 hours by about one-thousandth of a second. According to Gross, the length of the day changes about a millisecond over the course of a year. It gradually increases in the winter, when Earth rotates more slowly, and decreases in the summer. There are also longer patterns of changes in the length of day that last decades, even centuries. AFP PHOTO/ NASA / AFP PHOTO / NASA / NASA FILES
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print from NASA showcases the breathtaking view of Earth as witnessed by the Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972. The image serves as a reminder of our planet's beauty and fragility, captured from a perspective that few have had the privilege to experience firsthand. However, this particular photograph holds more than just aesthetic value. In January 2002, NASA announced an intriguing revelation: not all days are created equal. Contrary to popular belief, the summer solstice on June 21st is not actually the longest day ever recorded. According to Dr. Richard Gross, a geophysicist at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), the longest day in the past century occurred during 1912. Furthermore, this announcement shed light on another fascinating aspect of Earth's rotation – its fluctuating length of day over time. Driven by subtle changes in our planet's rotation speed throughout different seasons and years, these variations can be measured down to milliseconds annually. The shortest day within the last hundred years was observed on August 2nd, 2001 when Earth completed one full rotation slightly faster than usual by about one-thousandth of a second below the standard twenty-four hours. As we gaze upon this remarkable image and ponder its significance, it reminds us that even seemingly constant aspects like time can exhibit intricate patterns and fluctuations over long periods—a testament to nature's complexity and perpetual motion.
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