What's a Leap Second

Previous leap second occured in Hradec Králové on středa 1. červenec 2015, 01:59:60.
UTC time was 30. červen 2015, 23:59:60.

Every now and then a leap second is added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in order to synchronize atomic clocks with the Earth's ever slowing rotation.

Illustration image — Atomic clocks are slightly too accurate.
Leap seconds are added to realign atomic clocks with the Earth's rotation.
©iStockphoto.com/kvkirillov

Atomic Time vs. Universal Time

Two components are used to determine Coordinated Universal Time (UTC):

International Atomic Time (TAI): A time scale that combines the output of some 200 highly precise atomic clocks worldwide, and provides the exact speed for our clocks to tick.
Universal Time (UT1), also known as Astronomical Time, refers to the Earth's rotation around its own axis, which determines the length of a day.

When the difference between UTC and UT1 approaches 0.9 seconds, a leap second is added to UTC and clocks worldwide. Upcoming leap seconds are announced by the International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service (IERS) in Paris, France.

The Science Behind Leap Seconds

Atomic Time Too Accurate

The reason we have to add a second every now and then, is that Earth's rotation around its own axis, is gradually slowing down, although very slowly.

Atomic clocks, however, tick away at pretty much the same speed over millions of years. Compared to the Earth's rotation, atomic clocks are simply too consistent.

How Often Are Leap Seconds Added?

Before the first leap second was added in 1972, UTC was 10 seconds behind Atomic Time. So far, a total of 26 leap seconds have been added. This means that the Earth has slowed down an additional 26 seconds compared to atomic time since then.

However, this does NOT mean that the days are 26 seconds longer nowadays. The only difference is that the days a leap second was added had 86,401 seconds instead of the usual 86,400 seconds.

36 Seconds Difference

The previous leap second was added on June 30, 2015 at 23:59:60 UTC. The difference between UTC and International Atomic Time (UTC-TAI) is now 36 sec.

Check our Time Zone News for updates about leap seconds.

Topics: Timekeeping, Clocks, History