At 6:59:59 P.M. Eastern time on Dec. 31, 2016, we’ll have what is referred to as a “leap second,” where one extra second will be added to all the world clocks to keep the time across the globe, in sync with the Earth’s rotation.Time was based on the rotation of the Earth relative to sun, with the second being defined according to this reference.
However, with the invention of atomic clocks, which defined precise atomic timescale and is independent of the Earth’s rotation, which caused the addition of leap seconds which are needed at irregular intervals to reconcile and sync the time difference between the two systems of time.
Did you know, 10 extra seconds were added to the clock the first year in 1972- with a hope, that someday the “time-keepers” might have to subtract second rather than adding it!
So, what would happen if we don’t add the extra second?
The time would start showing its discrepancies. The celestial bodies would end up out of sync from the earth’s time and there are chances that we might face a about 2-3 minutes difference by 2100, and a whopping 30-minute discrepancy if we do not change our clocks until 2700! Whoa!!
However, the additional second is going to have little or almost no effect on the average person’s life, but, it is crucial for all the digital time-keeping and telecommunications to keep things going on smoothly! For instance, a leap second in July 2012 wreaked havoc on Reddit, Gawker,Instagram, Pinterest and Netflix and they couldn’t function for days. So, to avoid the glitches, time leap is essential.
By: Archa Dave
