5 4 3 2 1 1 an extra second to see out 2016
Last Updated : GMT 09:03:51
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
Last Updated : GMT 09:03:51
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today

For time lost to Earth's slowing rotation

5. 4. 3. 2. 1. 1... An extra second to see out 2016

Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today

Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. 1... An extra second to see out 2016

Countries that use Coordinated Universal Time -- several West African nations
Paris - Arab Today

As if 2016 has not been long enough, the year's dying minute will last an extra second to make up for time lost to Earth's slowing rotation, timekeepers say.

Countries that use Coordinated Universal Time -- several West African nations, Britain, Ireland and Iceland -- will add the leap second during the midnight countdown to 2017, making the year's final minute 61 seconds long.

For others, the timing will be determined by the time zone they live in, relative to UTC.

"This extra second, or leap second, makes it possible to align astronomical time, which is irregular and determined by Earth's rotation, with UTC which is extremely stable and has been determined by atomic clocks since 1967," the Paris Observatory said in a statement.

The observatory houses the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), responsible for synchronising time.

"The sequence of dates of the UTC second markers will be: 2016 December 31 23h 59m 59s, 2016 December 31 23h 59m 60s, 2017 January 1, 0h 0m 0s," the IERS website states.

The adjustment is necessary because Earth's rotation is not regular -- it sometimes speeds up, sometimes slows down, but is gradually slowing overall.

This is caused by factors including the Moon's gravitational Earth-braking forces, which give rise to the ocean tides.

The result is that astronomical time -- based on the length of an Earth day --  gradually falls out of sync with atomic time -- which is measured by nearly 400 super-accurate atomic clocks dotted around the world.

- Leap year, too -

Atomic time or TAI, in turn, is used to determine UTC, used for civil timekeeping globally.

TAI is exactly 36 seconds ahead of UTC, a difference that keeps growing as leap seconds are added, and will reach 37 seconds on January 1.

When leap seconds were introduced in 1972, 10 seconds had to be added to UTC, followed by another roughly every 18 months thereafter, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the US Department of Commerce.

The last was added on June 30, 2015.

"Leap seconds are added in order to keep the difference between UTC and astronomical time (UT1) to less than 0.9 seconds," the NIST website explains.

"Usually leap seconds are added when UTC is ahead of UT1 by 0.4 seconds or more."

The process, it added, can create problems for data logging applications and telecommunications systems.

"Special attention must be given to these systems each time there is a leap second." 

2016 -- annus horribilis for many with its rash of celebrity deaths and political upsets -- has also had a leap day -- February 29 -- a four-yearly occurrence to keep the calendar synchronised with Earth's movement around the Sun.

Source: AFP

almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

5 4 3 2 1 1 an extra second to see out 2016 5 4 3 2 1 1 an extra second to see out 2016

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

5 4 3 2 1 1 an extra second to see out 2016 5 4 3 2 1 1 an extra second to see out 2016

 



Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017

GMT 09:22 2018 Monday ,22 January

Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way

GMT 11:03 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

New hunt for flight MH370 gets under way
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Modern colorful bedroom renovation

GMT 10:57 2017 Thursday ,21 December

Modern colorful bedroom renovation
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Puigdemont candidate for Catalan president

GMT 13:56 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Puigdemont candidate for Catalan president
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today Turkey detains dozens more

GMT 10:47 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Turkey detains dozens more

GMT 07:43 2017 Monday ,16 October

'Final phase' of battle for Raqa

GMT 07:58 2011 Monday ,17 October

Chinese stocks close 0.37 pct higher Monday

GMT 13:38 2011 Friday ,11 November

Tips to great skin and hair

GMT 16:57 2017 Tuesday ,24 January

Bahrain condemns attack on market

GMT 19:36 2017 Thursday ,13 April

Despite warning, Assad regime uses barrel bombs

GMT 18:42 2017 Tuesday ,11 April

Muscat Securities Market Loses 29 Points

GMT 11:44 2014 Saturday ,01 November

Arab League council to hold emergency meeting Sunday

GMT 09:21 2011 Monday ,17 October

Tulisa showed on X Factor

GMT 18:08 2017 Tuesday ,17 January

Jordanian Royal Decree Approves Cabinet Reshuffle

GMT 09:07 2011 Sunday ,12 June

Israel to allow limited goods into Gaza

GMT 12:16 2011 Saturday ,18 June

Marilyn Monroe dress stars in Hollywood sale

GMT 13:42 2011 Sunday ,30 October

Watermelon helps reduce atherosclerosis

GMT 21:45 2017 Thursday ,27 April

US dollar exchange rate stable at major banks
Almaghrib Today, almaghrib today
 
 Almaghrib Today Facebook,almaghrib today facebook  Almaghrib Today Twitter,almaghrib today twitter Almaghrib Today Rss,almaghrib today rss  Almaghrib Today Youtube,almaghrib today youtube  Almaghrib Today Youtube,almaghrib today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

.almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday .almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday almaghribtoday almaghribtoday
almaghribtoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
almaghribtoday, Almaghribtoday, Almaghribtoday