On July 9, 2025, scientists at the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) reported that the Earth completed its rotation approximately 1.3 to 1.6 milliseconds faster than the standard 24-hour period. Moreover, this is expected to happen again on July 22 and August 5 this year.

But with atomic clocks tracking the Earth’s rotational speed so closely that once every year and a half or so, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (yes, there is such a thing) has to add a leap second to the year to account for any increase in the planet’s speed,

Thanks to atomic clocks (and all the worldly forces that influence them), scientists know that Earth's rotation has begun to slow down, thanks in large part to the loss of ice coverage in polar regions. But for a few days this year, our planet will actually spin faster.