Most people are aware that the Earth revolves around the sun every 24 hours, but many do not realize that our planet’s orbital speed fluctuates slightly. A day may appear longer or shorter than you expect. That is why the atomic clocks that maintain standardized time must be regularly adjusted by adding or subtracting a second. This change is called a leap second. This article will describe what is a leap second and why it’s crucial to our daily schedules.

Precession is a standard rotating event. It is the cyclical wiggle in the Earth’s axis, similar in nature to a toy top that spins slightly off-center. This axial shift relative to fixed stars (inertial spaces) has a duration of 25,771.5. It’s also responsible for changing the direction of cyclones in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Other rotating events include free nutation and the Chandler wobble and polar movement.

The speed of the rotator may be affected by other elements, like weather conditions, earthquakes and other events that occur regularly. For instance, if the core of the Earth is rotating https://northcentralrotary.org/2019/11/15/do-you-organize-international-events faster than its outer layer, a day will feel shorter. This is due to tidal forces acting on the surface of the Earth as well as gravitational pulls coming from other objects within the Solar System, such as Jupiter and Saturn. This is the reason that the Earth’s rotating speed has to be accounted for when designing fun park rides, like Ferris wheel and carousels.