[ntp:questions] Re: Bulletin C 28 -- NO positive leap second at the end of December 2004

David Schwartz davids at webmaster.com
Thu Oct 14 00:17:32 UTC 2004


"Urs Thuermann" <urs at isnogud.escape.de> wrote in message 
news:m2zn2sgyoz.fsf at janus.isnogud.escape.de...
> Marc Brett <marc at fordson.demon.co.uk> writes:
>
>>  NO positive leap second will be introduced at the end of December 2004.
>>  The difference between UTC and the International Atomic Time TAI is :
>>
>>      from 1999 January 1, 0h UTC, until further notice : UTC-TAI = -32 s
>
> What is the reason for not having a leap second for so long?  From
> 1972 to 1999 we had a leap second roughly every 1.25 years, with
> intervalls slightly increasing.  The longest period before January
> 1999 without a leap second was 2.5 years.  Now we have 6 years without
> a leap second.  Has the earth stopped slowing down its rotation?
>
> urs

    Last I heard, the IERS was expected to conclude that leap seconds do 
more harm than good and resolve not to introduce any leap seconds for the 
forseeable future. I can't find any information on their ultimate decision.

    DS





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