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Forbes
11 hours ago
- Science
- Forbes
Get Ready For The Shortest Day Since Records Began As Earth Spins Faster
Earth could be about to record its fastest-ever rotation. Since 2020, Earth has been rotating faster than at any point since records began in 1973, with each successive year producing the shortest day. Last year, the shortest day was recorded on July 5, and Earth is expected to get close to this again on or close to July 9, July 22 and August 5, according to "Rapidly spinning globe. Symbolic of time passing, travel and other metaphors of space and time." Earth takes a nominal 24 hours to rotate once on its access, which is equal to 86,400 seconds. Until 2020, Earth's rotation had been gradually slowing down, and the shortest ever day recorded was just 1.05 milliseconds under 86,400 seconds. However, on July 19, 2020, Earth rotated 1.47 milliseconds less than 86,400 seconds. Last year, on July 5, it was even shorter at 1.66 milliseconds. Since 2020, Earth has seen 28 of its fastest days and predictions from International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service and U.S. Naval Observatory indicate that Earth will again rotate faster on July 9, July 22 or August 5. The uncertainty comes from the exact position of the moon, which acts as a drag factor, particularly when it's close to the equator. In the long-term, the moon is gradually slowing down the Earth's rotation, its gravitational pull causing tides and making Earth's orbital path around the sun slightly elliptical. Precise measurements of the length of a day come from atomic clocks and monitoring by the IERS. Scientists do not know why Earth's rotation has been speeding up since 2020. various factors are likely at play, including the motion of Earth's core and mantle, a shifting of mass due to the melting of ice sheets and glaciers, and variations in ocean currents and air movement. All of these could influence the day length by milliseconds. It could also be down to the 'Chandler wobble' — the movement of Earth's geographical poles across its surface. Historically, international timekeepers have added leap seconds to keep atomic time aligned with Earth's spin. However, since Earth is now rotating faster, not slower, so leap seconds are redundant. Instead, negative leap seconds— i.e., removing a second) — are being considered. IERS confirmed earlier this month that no leap second would be added in 2025. The last leap second was positive and used at the end of December 2016. Scientists are unsure what to do because the current speeding-up may be a blip in a longer trend of Earth's rotation slowing. It may seem trivial, but the fact that Earth is spinning faster in 2025, shaving milliseconds off the day, is critical for maintaining time accuracy worldwide. Maintaining alignment between Earth time and atomic time is crucial for GPS and satellite navigation, financial systems reliant on precise timestamps and synchronizing networks across the world.
Forbes
10-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Why Monday's Full Moon' Is A ‘Micro Moon' — And When To See It Rise
When is the full moon? If you've witnessed the monthly appearance of a full moon on the eastern horizon during dusk before, you'll notice nothing different when it does so at dusk on Monday, May 12, 2025. It may seem a little large, but that's down to something called the moon illusion, the human brain's propensity to see things close to the horizon as larger than they are. In short, that's all in your head, according to NASA. However, the full "flower moon" (also called the hare's moon, milk moon and planting moon) will be smaller than usual, and, technically speaking, it will appear smaller and dimmer than usual. Although it's not a term used by astronomers, you'll hear it referred to as a "micromoon." A micromoon is when a full moon coincides with the moon's apogee, its farthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit, according to Timeanddate. The moon's orbital path around Earth is slightly elliptical, so each month, there's a point when it's farthest away (apogee) and closest (perigee). If a full moon coincides with a perigee, it's closer to Earth and bigger in the night sky, also known as a supermoon. If a full moon coincides with apogee, it's farther to Earth and smaller in the night sky, so it's called a micromoon. They may not be widely used terms by astronomers (you're likely to get a roll of the eyes if you ask an astronomer about any of this), but that's not stopped people from rushing to define what is and isn't a supermoon and a micro moon. Timeandate states that a micromoon is a full or a new moon that occurs when the center of the moon is farther than 251,655 miles (405,000 kilometers) from the center of Earth. Meanwhile, a supermoon is when the center of the moon is less than 223,694 miles (360,000 kilometers) from the center of Earth. The moon's average distance from Earth is 238,900 miles (384,472 km). On Monday, the flower moon will be 251,828 miles (405,278 kilometers) away, according to AstroPixels, the second-farthest full moon of the year. The upshot of all this is that this week's flower moon will appear about 12–14% smaller and dimmer than a supermoon, the case being about it's about 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) of Earth-moon distance. However, exactly how useful it is to know that is questionable. "A 14% increase in the apparent size of something that can be covered with a fingernail on an outstretched arm won't seem significantly bigger," states NASA. Lucky, then, that the rising of a full moon on Monday will, in a clear sky, be the astronomical highlight of the month — micromoon or not. To see it at its best, find an elevated location, an open field or an east-facing coastline with a clear view of the eastern horizon. To find the best time to see it appear from where you are, use a moonrise calculator. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
When Innies And Outies Looked Up: Why ‘Severance' Stopped On April 8, 2024
Adam Scott at the Deadline x "Severance" Season 2 Finale Event held at the DGA Theater on March 22, ... More 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Deadline via Getty Images) Exactly a year ago today, on Monday, Apr. 8, 2024, North America stopped working for a few hours to watch a solar eclipse — and that included the cast and crew of the hit Apple TV+ show Severance. Officially the platform's biggest show in terms of unique viewers, the dystopian show created by Dan Erickson and produced by Ben Stiller halted filming while in New York shooting its second season. Stepping outside and looking up may have been an alien concept to the corporate corridors of Lumon Industries, but Erickson shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the moment on Instagram. His post's photo featured cast members Adam Scott and Britt Lower with Erickson gazing skyward, eclipse glasses firmly in place. 'I remember we all watched the eclipse together. The solar eclipse. I have pictures of us all going outside of the stage in the Bronx there to look at that,' director Stiller told People. Scot added that they had been shooting the finale on Apr. 8. Filming wrapped a few weeks later on April 23, according to a later post from Erickson. According to Timeanddate, New York City saw almost 90% of the sun blocked by the moon in a deep partial solar eclipse, meaning eclipse glasses had to be worn at all times. On April 8, 2024 the "Great American Eclipse"—coined by cartographer Michael Zeiler, who designed ... More this map—was seen in Mexico, 15 U.S. states and Canada. A total solar eclipse — when the sky darkens for a few minutes, the temperature drops, and the sun's spectacular corona becomes visible to the naked eye — occurred some 300 miles northwest of New York City. On April 8, 2024, a roughly 125-mile wide path of totality through northwest Mexico, the U.S.(from Texas through Maine) and southeast Canada was created by the moon's shadow, which took 139 minutes to travel across Earth's surface. It's thought about 50 million people may have witnessed this 'Great North American Eclipse,' though where they did so was not as predicted because of unexpected weather. Texas, where a $1.4 billion tourism windfall had been expected from a million visitors, hosted as few as 270,000 visitors as storms moved in, while New Hampshire, where as few as 450 eclipse-chasers were expected, saw 170,00 extra vehicles make the journey. This is the sequence of the total eclipse of the Sun over the waters of Lac Brome, in the Eastern ... More Townships of Quebec, Canada, on April 8, 2024. (Photo by: Alan Dyer/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Although it made far fewer headlines, a similar phenomenon occurred last week when, on Mar. 29, 2025, a deep partial solar eclipse was again seen from North America. This time, it was viewed at sunrise only from northeastern U.S. states and eastern Canada, as well as Europe and, northwestern Africa and Russia. From New York City, 21% of the sun was blocked by the moon at sunrise. From parts of northern Maine, the U.S., and Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada, a rare 'double sunrise' was seen, with as much as a 94% partial solar eclipse. Eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain will see a brief totality during the next total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026. The first such event for mainland Europe since 1999, North America will experience a slight partial solar eclipse during this event. The next total solar eclipses in the U.S. will occur in Alaska on Mar. 30, 2033, on Aug. 23, 2044, in Montana and North Dakota, and on Aug. 12, 2045, across 13 U.S. states from California to Florida. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Forbes
30-03-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Why Two Islands Will See A Total Solar Eclipse On Different Days
The Diomede Islands in the Bering Strait are separated by the International Date Line with Big ... More Diomede Island (Russia) 21 hours ahead of Little Diomede (United States). (Photo by Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2018/) When is the next eclipse in the U.S.? On March 30, 2033 — exactly eight years from today — a total solar eclipse will occur in Alaska and the Bering Strait. It will bring a dark totality for up to two minutes and 37 seconds, with the maximum close to Barrow/Utqiagvikill in Alaska. However, two islands close to each other in the Bering Strait will experience a totality theoretically 21 hours apart. How can that be? Here's everything you need to know about the next total solar eclipse in the U.S. — the 'Great Bering Strait''eclipse. New supermoons cause all total solar eclipses, and this one is no different. At 7:10 UTC, when a new moon is just 11 hours after swinging closest to Earth — so appearing big enough to block the sun in the sky — its dark umbral shadow will forge a path of totality across Provideniya, Anadyr and Uelen in far eastern Russia and Nome, Utqiaġvik (Barrow) and Kotzebue in Alaska in mid-morning. Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau in Alaska will see a big partial solar eclipse. This is one of the more remote eclipses — just 67,600 will see totality, according to Timeanddate. A partial solar eclipse will be seen in 45 U.S. states. Big Diomede and Little Diomede — three miles apart in the Bering Strait between Alaska and the U.S. and Siberia in Russia — are known as Tomorrow Island and Yesterday Island, respectively. They're split by the International Date Line, putting Big Diomede in Russia (Tomorrow Island) and Little Diomede in the U.S. (Yesterday Island). Big Diomede is almost one day ahead of Little Diomede. This total solar eclipse— which brings a brief darkness in the day — occurs during peak viewing season for the aurora borealis, offering a potential double celestial event. A lack of light pollution in Alaska and the fact that auroras are twice as likely close to the March equinox make it a possibility. The four main places in Alaska where eclipse chasers will gather are likely to be: Totality: 09:59 a.m. (Eclipse 11 degrees above the horizon, 2 minutes 35 seconds) The most northerly settlement in the U.S. at 71.2° N at the extreme northern edge of Alaska is close to the point of maximum eclipse. Totality: 10:00 a.m. (Eclipse 13.9 degrees above the horizon, 1 minute 36 seconds) The eclipse will occur highest in the sky here, so will be easier to see. It's close to Deadhorse at the end of Alaska's famous Dalton Highway. Totality: 09:50 a.m. (Eclipse 9.3 degrees above the horizon, 2 minutes 31 seconds) This Inupiat town at 66 degrees north is on the Baldwin Peninsula in Kotzebue Sound, 26 miles above the Arctic Circle. Totality: 09:46 a.m. (Eclipse 8.1 degrees above the horizon, 2 minutes 28 seconds) Reachable only by plane, Nome at 64 degrees north, the end of the annual long-distance Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race each March. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Solar Eclipse Alert: How To See, Stream And Image Tomorrow's Weird ‘Double Sunrise'
The first solar eclipse of the year will occur on Saturday, March 29. Unlike the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, this one will only be seen as a partial from parts of 13 U.S. states. While there will be no totality and at no point will it get dark, this event promises something rare and spectacular in the form of an eclipsed sunrise. As little as 1% and as much as 85% of the sun will be eclipsed by the moon as seen from the U.S., with northern Quebec, Canada, seeing almost 94% eclipse. Here's everything you need to know to see, stream and photograph the final solar eclipse in North America until August 12, 2026. A rare partial solar eclipse is seen over Northamptonshire on March 20, 2015 in Northampton, ... More England. The solar eclipse, which occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, started at 08:24 GMT and continues until 10:41 GMT, with the maximum obscuration of the Sun happening at 09:31 GMT. The last significant solar eclipse visible from the UK was on 11 August, 1999. (Photo by) A partial solar eclipse occurs when a new moon passes between Earth and the sun. Unlike a total solar eclipse, there is no precise alignment. Instead, only the moon's outer shadow, its penumbra, will move across Earth. It will be visible in the U.S. from 6:13 to 7:17 a.m. EDT and in Canada from 6:56 a.m. NDT to 8:20 a.m. EDT. An exact schedule for any location — including the time of sunrise, maximum eclipse and when the eclipse ends — can be found on Timeanddate's map of the eclipse. 13 U.S. states in the northeast will see some part of the eclipse. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts will see the biggest eclipse, with views of the eclipsed sunrise most likely from coastal areas. Rare 'devil's horns' — where two cusps of the sun are seen on either side of the silhouette of the moon — will be visible from locations close to the U.S.-Canada border in Maine and New Brunswick and along the St. Lawrence River northeast of Quebec City. This unusual phenomenon is also known as a 'double sunrise.' A smaller partial solar eclipse will be seen in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia. The maximum eclipse will be seen in Nunavik in Quebec, Canada, where almost 94% of the sun will be eclipsed during sunrise. At 85%, northeastern Maine will see the biggest eclipse in the U.S. Several large cities will see this eclipse at sunrise, notably New York City, NY with 22%, Boston, MA 43%, Concord, NH 46%, Portland, ME 64% and Philadelphia, PA 12%. Washington, D.C., and Buffalo, NY, are on the limit, with just a 1% eclipse at sunrise. Livestreams of the event will come from broadcasting from Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada (84%), Siena, Tuscany in Italy (5%) and Skibotn in Norway (37%), and from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich London (31%). A pair of eclipse glasses held — or taped — over a smartphone camera lens is good enough to take a souvenir image of the eclipsed sun. For better results, put your smartphone on a tripod and use the Solar Snap app, available on Google Play and Apple App Store, which offers zoom, exposure and zoom adjustments. However, for images of the eclipsed sunrise, the best way is to take a video with a smartphone, zooming in as much as possible. That's far easier to do when using a tripod. An image can easily be extracted from the video, either using software or by taking a screenshot. FURTHER READING
