Ready Your Watch: The Leap Second Is Coming

[slinkslowdown]

The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) in Paris - the grand arbiters of time on our big blue marble - has declared that a leap second will be introduced on 30 June, 2012.

So what on Earth is a leap second?

We used to use the Earth’s dutiful rotation as a way of measuring time. It pirouettes on its axis once every 24

Comments

[buttersbooboo]

interesting

[asweetdownfall]

This is seriously way too awesome for words. :3

[gentle_john]

I love how casual they are about mentioning that scientists can measure something that moves 9,192,631,770 times a second.

...and cue obligatory "IT'S OVER 9,000,000,000!!!!!"

[thedrowned]

A whole second. Better break out the champaign.

[castalianspring]

We now have two new tags! Thanks, I learned a new term trying to figure out what to create for your post :)

[slinkslowdown]

Thank you! :D