When the moon is positioned farther from Earth's equator and closer to the poles, its pull on the planet becomes weaker. With less resistance, Earth is able to spin a bit faster, which makes the day slightly shorter than usual.

Earth is set to break records with July 9 marking the shortest day ever recorded, shaving off 1.3–1.5 milliseconds due to lunar orbit shifts

Atomic clocks — among the most precise instruments humans have ever built — have been keeping track of Earth’s spin since the 1950s. But what they show today is unexpected. Our planet, which for decades had been slowing down in its rotation, is suddenly speeding up.