It was on this date in 1972 that the first leap second was added to a day. The modern definition of a “second” was settled in 1874 by European scientists working from Muslim scholars’ improvement on Ptolemy’s Second Century calculations. But in the early 1960s astronomers realized that the rotation of the earth is irregular -- fundamentally, it is slowing.
Happy 42nd birthday, Leap Second!
Wednesday, July 02, 2014
Happy 42nd birthday, Leap Second!
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