![]() ![]() The leap second was introduced in 1972 and since then 27 leap seconds have been added to UTC.īecause the Earth's rotational speed varies in response to climatic and geological events, UTC leap seconds are irregularly spaced and unpredictable. The leap second facility exists to provide this adjustment. The UTC time standard, widely used for international timekeeping and as the reference for civil time in most countries, uses TAI and consequently would run ahead of observed solar time unless it is reset to UT1 as needed. gov during the leap second on 31 December 2016.Ī leap second is a one- second adjustment that is occasionally applied to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), to accommodate the difference between precise time ( International Atomic Time (TAI), as measured by atomic clocks) and imprecise observed solar time ( UT1), which varies due to irregularities and long-term slowdown in the Earth's rotation. Extra second inserted to keep civil time in sync with the Earth's rotation
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