Earth rotates once in about 24 hours with respect to the Sun, but once every 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds with respect to other distant stars. Scientists call this difference crucial to ...

Although the Earth completes one full rotation in 86,400 seconds on average, that spin fluctuates by a millisecond or two every day. Before 2020, the Earth never experienced a day shorter than the ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky. Earth could be about to record its fastest-ever rotation.

If today feels like it's flying by, you can blame it on our spinning planet: A group of scientists tracking Earth's rotation predicts that the day will be a fraction of a second shorter than normal.

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...