The Earth is spinning at its fastest rate since records began, and astronomers predict that 5 August will be one of the shortest day ever measured. New estimates released this month suggest that the first Tuesday of August will be around 1.25 milliseconds shorter than it should be.

Earth is spinning faster this summer, making the days marginally shorter and attracting the attention of scientists and timekeepers. But these days are not ‘short’ in terms of how many sunlight hours they have — rather because they clock in at slightly less than exactly 24 hours.