Why the Moon is making days last longer

If you’d like to have more time to hang out with your friends, then you’re in luck. Geoscientists (scientists who study our planet’s formation and structure) from the US have calculated that days on Earth were once only 18 hours long but could eventually last more than 25 hours. Why is this happening? The days are getting longer because the Moon is very gradually moving away from our planet. The Earth is constantly spinning as it orbits the Sun; it takes 24 hours – a full day – for the planet spin all the way round once. Meanwhile, the Moon orbits Earth, taking just over 27 days to complete a single orbit of our planet. As the Moon circles Earth, its gravitational force pulls the Earth and its oceans towards…

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The Week Junior (Digital) - 1 Issue, No. 132

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