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A leap second is a one-second adjustment that is occasionally applied to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), to accommodate the difference between precise time (International Atomic Time (TAI), as measured by atomic clocks) and imprecise observed solar time , which varies due to irregularities and long-term slowdown in the Earth's rotation.
When dealing with periods that do not encompass a UTC leap second, the difference between two Unix time numbers is equal to the duration in seconds of the period between the corresponding points in time. This is a common computational technique. However, where leap seconds occur, such calculations give the wrong answer.
The correct reason for leap seconds, then, is not the current difference between actual and nominal LOD, but rather the accumulation of this difference over a period of time: Near the end of the 20th century, this difference was about 1 / 800 of a second per day; therefore, after about 800 days, it accumulated to 1 second (and a leap ...
Typically leap seconds happen in either June or December. However, if you happen to be on the internet at midnight, don't freak out if it goes array. Back in 2012, several sites experienced ...
The 37 seconds result from the initial difference of 10 seconds at the start of 1972, plus 27 leap seconds in UTC since 1972. In 2022, the General Conference on Weights and Measures decided to abandon the leap second by or before 2035, at which point the difference between TAI and UTC will remain fixed. [5]
Graph showing the difference between UTC (based on an atomic clock with leap seconds) and UT1 (based on the movement of the Earth). This graph illustrates the effect of leap seconds, along with why there have been so few leap seconds in the past several years. Used in Leap second, Coordinated Universal Time and DUT1. Nominate and support.
This troublesome extra second has been wreaking havoc since 1972, and now it faces oblivion. Skip to main content. Sign in. Mail. 24/7 Help. For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ...
More exactly, the mean solar day is 86.400 002 ks due to tidal braking, and increasing at the rate of approximately 2 ms/century; to correct for this time standards like UTC use leap seconds with the interval described as "a day" on them being most often 86.4 ks exactly by definition but occasionally one second more or less so that every day ...