Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Nearby planets can affect how one planet 'wobbles' on its spin axis, which contributes to seasons. Mark Garlick/Science Photo ...

A typical desk globe is designed to be a geometric sphere and to rotate smoothly when you spin it. Our actual planet is far less perfect — in both shape and in rotation. Earth is not a perfect sphere.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Earth is spinning faster this summer, leading astronomers to notice that some days have clocked in at slightly less than the ...

Earth’s spin is not as steady as it looks. As ice melts and groundwater is pumped from deep aquifers to the surface, the planet’s mass is shifting, and with it the position of the rotational axis that ...

Earth’s spin is not as steady as it looks from the ground. As ice sheets melt and aquifers are drained, scientists now say the planet’s axis has shifted by more than 30 inches, a subtle but measurable ...

The Earth is pretty good at keeping its pace. However, variations do happen. And on three separate days this summer—July 9, July 22, and August 5—the Earth will spin notably faster than usual. Of ...

If you’re the kind of person who gets a lot done, you’re grateful for every one of the 86,400 seconds that make up a day. On July 9, however, as well as on July 22, and August 5, you won’t get your ...

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Spring, summer, fall and winter – the seasons on Earth change every few months, around the same time every year. It’s easy to take this cycle for granted here on Earth, but not every planet has a ...

Spring, summer, fall, and winter — the seasons on Earth change every few months, around the same time every year. It’s easy to take this cycle for granted here on Earth, but not every planet has a ...

(CNN) — Earth is spinning faster this summer, making the days marginally shorter and attracting the attention of scientists and timekeepers. July 10 was the shortest day of the year so far, lasting ...