I hope you are all enjoying new year's eve. And for everyone already past the midnight mark, happy new year!
If you felt that 2008 was a long year, you were right. Not only was it a leap year, but the year was a bit longer. One second longer, to be exact.
Scientists added a second at 12 am UTC (Coordinated Universal Time, which is the technical version of Greenwhich Mean Time). That meant that all countries in time zones behind GMT had a longer 2008, and countries ahead have a longer 2009. So if you live to the east of the Atlantic--don't complain. You got more time to celebrate the new year.
The need to add a 'leap second' is the result of a slowing of the rotation of the Earth. The rotation of the Earth is influenced by many factors, including solar winds, lunar and solar gravity, and space dust. Though the difference is very small per day, it adds up. If left unaltered, the atomic and solar (sundial) times would differ by "up to more than an hour in a few centuries." (1)
This is the twenty-fourth time that a leap second has been added, and it's the fourth time that it has happened in a leap year. The last time a leap second was added was on December 31, 2005. The next time it willl happen is in 2012 or 2013 (2).
So don't be afraid to hang on a sec. You've got at least one to spare.
(References: a [1], b [2], c, d)
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Welcome to the "Blogger" blogosphere! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is the first year in about 15 years that I did not listen to the US time station WWV to ring in the new year. I usually leave it on in the background while I'm working on other things to hear it chime for 0 hours UTC up until it chimes for us at 0400 UTC. I didn't this year because I was so incredibly worn out from work on the 31th, I went to bed straight away after dinner. :( I do very much remember, though, the addition of the leap second in 2005 and all the announcements that year leading up to it.
Anyhow, I can't wait for more science goodies from you. The taglines you entered on EotS have been intriguing!
Aw, thanks! I'll try my best, but I know that I shall never be as great as you, O Wise One.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'd never heard of 'leap seconds'. I was quite surprised, but pleased that science has allowed us to keep precise measurements of time. It's like the time keepers on T. Glockenchime. (Yay! SH and real life cross over.)
And thanks for reading my little factoids!
'O Wise One'? Puh-leez! Don't put me on too high a pedestal. :)
ReplyDeleteHere is information on the US version of T. Glockenchime...
http://tf.nist.gov/stations/wwv.html
The similarities are striking! LOLz.
Canada has a time station, too, called CHU...
http://inms-ienm.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/time_services/shortwave_broadcasts_e.html
Many countries run official time stations backed by atomic clocks. Here's the wiki...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_clock
LOL Satellite dishes...so iconic.
ReplyDeleteIt's all so organized. I agree, the similarities are striking.
And you can never be high enough. It's the only way you can stand out!
(But this doesn't mean you should become high and mighty. Just...rise above the rest. Ok, enough puns there. *grin*)
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