[ntp:questions] Re: Leap second talks are postponed

Casper H.S.Dik Casper.Dik at Sun.COM
Sun Nov 20 20:32:44 UTC 2005


Charles Allen <ca765 at earthlink.net> writes:

>Tim:
>> Hasn't it always been the way that we adjust our clocks to reflect what
>> the time really is?  (Noon with the sun overhead.)  

>I wish.  Starting in 2007 in the US, that won't be true most of the
>year.

It never was, anywhere.

First of all, noon wobbles because the solar days aren't
even approximately 24 hours; the length of the solar day
varies because of the component which is attributed to the
eliptical orbit around the Sun (the rotational speed is very
nearly constant but the eliptical component varies several minutes.

And the there's timezone which are largely arbitrary; we use
Berlin time which is 40 minutes ahead of our actual average
noon and Greenwich time would be more logical as that's only
20 minutes behind.

Casper
-- 
Expressed in this posting are my opinions.  They are in no way related
to opinions held by my employer, Sun Microsystems.
Statements on Sun products included here are not gospel and may
be fiction rather than truth.




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