Most people are aware that the Earth revolves around the sun every 24 hours, but many do not realize that our planet’s rotational speed varies slightly. It’s possible that a day could appear longer or shorter than you expect. The clocks that are atomic, which maintain standard time, have to be adjusted periodically by subtracting or adding one second. This change is called leap seconds. This article will clarify what is a leap second and why it is important to our daily routines.
Precession is a normal rotating event. It is the cyclical wiggle in Earth’s axis, similar to the toy top spinning slightly off-center. This axial shift relative to fixed stars (inertial space) is observed for a period of 25,771.5 years. This is also responsible for the direction of cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere as well as the Southern Hemisphere. Other rotating events include the Chandler wobble free nutation, polar motion.
The rotator’s speed can be affected by other variables, including weather conditions, earthquakes, and other events that occur regularly. For example, if the core of the Earth rotates faster than the outer layer, days will seem shorter. This is due to the tidal forces that are acting on surface of the Earth and gravitational pulls coming from other objects https://northcentralrotary.org/2019/11/15/do-you-organize-international-events/ within the Solar System, such as Jupiter and Saturn. This is the reason that the Earth’s rotational speed needs to be considered when designing fun park rides, like Ferris wheel and carousels.
