A day on Earth, might now mean 25 hours, say scientists, as the moon has been increasingly drifting away.

The  Moon has been receding from Earth at a rate of approximately 3.8 centimetres per year, according to a research conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Such a phenomenon, could result in the Earth days lasting 25 hours in 200 million years time, stated the research. A day on the Earth had lasted just over 18 hours, around 1.4 billion years ago.

Gravitational force between Earth and Moon

Stephen Meyers, a professor at the geoscience department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, suggests the gravitational interactions between the Earth and the Moon could be a primary cause.

“As the moon moves away, the Earth is like a spinning figure skater who slows down as they stretch their arms out,” said Meyers.

The professor further stated that they have been aiming to use ‘astrochronology ‘ to be able to tell time in the distant past. “We want to be able to study rocks that are billions of years old in a way that is comparable to how we study modern geologic processes,” said Meyer.

Moon’s recession not new

While the theory of moon’s recession has been known to man for years, the Wisconsin research aims to delve deeper into the historical and geological context of the phenomenon.

Researchers have been able to track the history of the Earth-moon system, spanning over billions of years by examining ancient geological formations and sediment layers.

The findings have revealed that the Moon’s current rate of recession has been relatively stable. It has , however, fluctuated over geological timescales due to various factors. Earth’s rotational speed, and continental drift have been identified as the major ones.