A Longer 2008
by A leap second will extend 2008 a little longer.
The most valuable thing in this world is time. There’s a news story that went under the radar and from all places it came from IERS (International Earth Rotation and Reference System Services) who just announced that at the end of 2008 at 23:59.60 on December 31st the beginning of the next year will be delayed by 1 second. This means that we all have one more second in 2008.
You might be wondering why are we blessed with this extra second and the answer is because a year is determined by the time it takes for the earth to complete its orbit around the sun and the rate is slowing down at a very gradual pace due to tidal friction. So in order to keep the time in sync with the earth the IERS was forced to add a second to 2008.
If you think this is rare event you would be wrong because the IERS ads a second about every 18 months. It is not always exactly 18 months because Earths rotation is very unpredictable. Don’t worry its not going to be Y2K all over again almost all of electronics devices will adjust automatically to the International Atomic Time.
You can’t add seconds without some people getting upset and protesting. Of course this year was no different there has been protest against this change. Opponents of the leap second argue that the problems it would cause on older computer systems would cause a major hassle and cost people and businesses thousands of dollars.
For more information you can go to www.IERS.org
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Post Commentpapaleng
On December 12, 2008 at 9:53 am
Wow! this is a amazing write. But do time really matters to a so busy world we’re living in?
Kim Buck
On December 12, 2008 at 11:01 am
What can you do with one second?
Adam Henry Sears
On December 12, 2008 at 11:46 am
Now there’s something I didn’t know. Thanks
Ruby Hawk
On December 12, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Excuse me but I am not that bright. I still don’t understand how we could gain a second. I don’t see how a second could make much difference anyway. Your article is interesting and well written.
S A JOHNSON
On December 12, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Wow that’s really cool to know. I’m actually really excited about knowing this. A second might not be much but I’m sure to another living organism somewhere in this world it is a life time or close to it. I’m happy to have my second. ^_^
TommyP
On December 13, 2008 at 10:50 am
Nice article Jimmy! Does this IERS have a site on the web? I would also like to know more about TIDAL FRICTION and how this affects rotation and revolution around the Sun.
Popo the busdriver
On December 14, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I saw that on the colbert report of course steven colbert’s only comment was “2008 sucks, why would we want to make it any longer?”
Clay Hurtubise
On December 14, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Nice,
Thanks,
Since reading Stephen Hawking’s books, I tend to think of time as more of a place than a moment.. weird to think about, but I think there is more to time than we can comprehend.
Thanks,
Clay
Darla Smith
On December 17, 2008 at 11:40 am
I hadn’t heard about the added second.
hfj
On December 18, 2008 at 1:15 pm
A very interesting article. I didn’t know 2008 was going to be a second longer.