Wait a second: 2008 gets extended by timekeepers
December 8, 2008
(AP) -- With a brutal economic slowdown, 2008 may feel as if it will never end. Now the world's timekeepers are making it even longer by adding a leap second to the last day of the year.
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Still, I would have to be pretty obsessive compulsive to care about 2008 being 31,556,927 seconds instead of 31,556,926
Actually, you're wrong about that. The Earth is tidally locked with the Moon, not the Sun.
This effect on the Earth's rotation is intrinsically linked to the fact that the Moon is slowly receding from the Earth - it's a transfer of energy and momentum from one to the other.
Also can some clarify the differance between 6:59:60PM and 7:00:00PM and 1900:00? Other than the obvious that no one uses 6:59:60 as a time designation. Like saying I'm 5ft 12in tall or its about 1 Km and 1000m to the post office. If their clock actually says 6:59:60 then it might have already broke.
I think the 6:59:60 is referring to the fact that the minute of 6:59 will have 1 more second to it, so in fact will turn to 6:59:60 before switching to 7:00:00pm. Maybe? Yes.
Having said this, this conversation is stupid and inane....
actually, 31,556,926 doesnt cut it either. the days in the year ARE an integer; (3600*24*366) 1 yields 31,622,401 (and YES, I do get obsessive about math)
for details: http://www.physli...e695.cfm