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Longer years.

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wildwood | 22:59 Sun 03rd Feb 2008 | Science
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I believe every year is getting a tiny but increasing amount longer. Is this due to the sun getting cooler and thus having slightly less gravitational pull, or what?
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Technically, yes.

If you define a year as one rotation of the Earth around the Sun, such that closer to the Sun would result in a shorter year and father away from the Sun a longer year.

The Sun is constantly losing its gravitational force.

However, it's by such a small amount each time, that it's negligible.

I have no idea on the numbers, but I'd think something like a millisecond every few years.
The main cause of the Earth's rotation slowing is the friction produced by the oceanic tides. There's a (very!) detailed explanation here

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Longer years.

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