NASA confirmed massive man-made project is slowing down the Earth's rotation due to its size

Have you ever felt like there's just not enough time in the day to get everything done?

Well, you're in luck as social media users over on Reddit have been discussing in recent days. And NASA is at the heart of it.

Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, a geophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, has stated that China's Three Gorges Dam has actually increased the length of the day.

The Three Gorges Dam is located on the Yangtze River in China’s Hubei province. Completed in 2012, the dam is 2,335 meters long and 185 meters high.

It holds about 40 cubic kilometres of water, which is roughly equal to 10 trillion gallons. This water is stored at a height of 175 meters above sea level, giving it some serious weight and energy.

The Three Gorges Dam is slowing the earth's rotation slightly (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

NASA has recently confirmed that the dam, which happens to be the world’s largest hydroelectric power station, has caused a small but measurable change to Earth’s rotation, resulting in our days being increased in length by 0.06 microseconds.

"For reference, this amounts to a bit more than 3 days over the entire age of the universe," Dr. Chao explains.

This change comes from the massive volume of water stored in the dam’s reservoir, which shifts the planet’s mass and slightly slows its spin.

According to NASA scientists, the huge amount of water held back by the dam has shifted the distribution of Earth’s mass. This change has increased the planet’s moment of inertia, similar to how a figure skater slows their spin by stretching out their arms.

Dr. Chao explained: “Any time you shift mass around, you change the Earth’s rotation. The effect is very small, but measurable.”

Their study found that the dam’s reservoir has lengthened the Earth’s day by 0.06 microseconds and shifted the planet’s axis by about 2 centimeters.

The Three Gorges Dam produces the equivalent energy of 15 nuclear reactors (Ryan Pyle/Corbis via Getty Images)

These changes are tiny, but modern instruments can detect them.

Despite the concerns, the dam remains a key part of China’s energy strategy. It has a capacity of 22,500 megawatts and produces as much power as 15 nuclear reactors.

It helps reduce the use of coal and cuts carbon emissions, making it a vital renewable energy source.

So, if like me you're wondering what you can do with your additional 0.06 seconds, don't worry, I've Googled it for you. In 0.06 seconds, you can identify a smell, and your dog can determine the direction of a sound. But that's about it, sorry.