An international group of scientists, diplomats, and timekeepers has decided to eliminate the leap second, which has been used to keep Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) aligned with Earth’s rotation time (UT1). The leap second was introduced in 1972 to adjust for Earth’s irregular rotation, but it will soon be replaced by a leap hour, added less frequently, allowing a greater difference between UT1 and UTC. This change, set to take effect on May 20, 2027, aims to prevent potential disruptions in digital systems that a negative leap second could cause. The decision was made at the General Conference on Weights and Measures in France, following years of debate and concern over the impact of leap seconds on technology and navigation systems like GPS.
QUESTION: How might the shift from leap seconds to leap hours impact the way we perceive and measure time in the future?
Scientists vote to end leap seconds, redefining how the world keeps time
