Bizarre & wonderful · Earlier selection
Earth’s balancing point does not quite stay put
NASA researchers are using satellite tracking to follow tiny changes in the planet’s centre of mass.
The location shifts as water, ice and air move around Earth. NASA’s 16 September account describes a method for measuring these millimetre-scale changes, helping refine the reference system used for positions and heights. This is a precision-measurement problem, not evidence that Earth is dangerously tipping over.
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NASA ↗ (opens a new tab)Agency explanation of a geodesy method; conceptual satellite image.
AI-assisted original summary, checked against the linked source on 19 Sept 2026, 15:48 BST. Illustration is AI generated and does not document the event.
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