Many people are aware of the fact that the Earth revolves around the sun every 24 hours, but they don’t realize that our planet’s orbital speed fluctuates slightly. It’s possible that a day could appear longer or shorter than what you’d expect. That is why the atomic clocks that maintain standardized time have to be periodically adjusted, adding or subtracting seconds. This is known as the leap second. This article will describe what the leap second is and why it is important to our daily routines.
A typical rotating event is precession, a oscillation of Earth’s axis, much as a spinny, slightly off-center toy top. This change in axial direction relative to fixed stars (inertial space) has a cycle of 25,771.5 years. It’s also responsible for changing the direction of cyclones in creating a barrier free space for people with disabilities the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Other rotating events include free nutation and the Chandler wobble, and the polar movement.
In addition, to these periodic events, the speed of the rotator can be affected by weather conditions and other factors, including earthquakes. If the core of Earth rotates faster, the day appears to be shorter. This change is due to the tidal force that is acting on the Earth’s surface and gravitational pulls on other major objects within the Solar System such as Jupiter and Saturn. This effect is why the Earth’s speed of rotation must be considered when creating fun park rides like Ferris wheels or carousels.