Leap second

A leap second is an intercalary, one-second adjustment that keeps broadcast standards for time of day close to mean solar time. Leap seconds are necessary to keep time standards synchronized with civil calendars, the basis of which is astronomical.

Related Topics:
Intercalary - Second - Mean solar time - Calendar

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Broadcast standards for civil time are based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is maintained using extremely precise atomic clocks. In order to keep the UTC broadcast standard close to mean solar time, UTC is occasionally corrected by an intercalary adjustment, or "leap", of one (1) second. Over long time periods, leap seconds must be added at an ever increasing rate which corresponds to a parabola near 31 s/century² (see ΔT).

Related Topics:
Civil time - Coordinated Universal Time - Atomic clock - ΔT

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