NASA has found that the connection between the Earth and the moon is weakening, leading to longer days on Earth.
According to a recent study, the moon used to be much closer to the Earth, and the closer it was, the shorter Earth’s days were. Researchers believe that 1.4 billion years ago, a day on Earth only lasted 18 hours. Professor Stephen Meyers, co-author of the study, explains that as the moon moves away, the Earth spins slower, much like a spinning figure skater who slows down as they stretch their arms out.
Meyers and his team used Astrochronology to study rocks billions of years old and recreate what they believe the solar system looked like in the past.
While it is known that the moon is currently receding from the Earth at a rate of 1.5 inches per year, scientists admit that their calculations may be inaccurate due to the moon’s age of 4.5 billion years. Nonetheless, it is confirmed that Earth’s days are getting longer.
