[154415] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tony Finch)
Tue Jul 3 17:25:34 2012
Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2012 22:24:39 +0100
From: Tony Finch <dot@dotat.at>
To: Owen DeLong <owen@delong.com>
In-Reply-To: <5ED4796A-4F15-484F-9F5C-AA94C095D3E2@delong.com>
Cc: nanog@nanog.org
Errors-To: nanog-bounces+nanog.discuss=bloom-picayune.mit.edu@nanog.org
Owen DeLong <owen@delong.com> wrote:
>
> Since we have a tradition of measuring diurnal and other repetitive
> cycles (days) based on the rotation of the earth, we end up with fudge
> factors to make that line up with months from time to time. (leap
> seconds).
That is not what leap seconds are.
Leap seconds are to align the artificial and very stable atomic timescale
with the irregular and slowing rotation of the earth.
Tony.
--
f.anthony.n.finch <dot@dotat.at> http://dotat.at/
Faeroes, South-east Iceland: Easterly 5 or 6, backing northeasterly 4 or 5.
Moderate. Occasional rain, fog patches in Faeroes. Moderate or good,
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