The spin of the planet tilted 31.5 inches to the east between 1993 and 2010 due to humans pumping groundwater, according to a new study.
The big picture: Earth’s rotational axis drifts naturally but its direction shifted east in the 1990s. Previous research attributed that driftto large amounts of water being moved by glacial melt, groundwater removal and other activities that contribute to rises in sea level.
Set your alarm clock early Saturday for a rare chance to see five planets aligned in the pre-dawn sky.
The big picture: Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury will appear together in a "planetary parade" before sunrise Saturday, according to the astronomy website and app Star Walk.
