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Re: Leap second in December
From: Don Seltzer
Date: 2016 Jul 9, 19:40 -0400
From: Don Seltzer
Date: 2016 Jul 9, 19:40 -0400
On Sat, Jul 9, 2016 at 7:28 PM, Herbert Prinz <NoReply_HerbertPrinz@fer3.com> wrote:
Paul,
I would not have noticed it, but now that you mention it, I don't think one can add what is already there. So, the additional second can only be inserted AFTER the 60th second, which is at 00:00:00.
But then, I already don't understand what it means to "add a second to a clock". This metaphor suggests that a clock is something like an old fashioned gas meter or telephone that I have to feed a coin every second to keep it happy. But what if my clock is a dripping water faucet, where a drop is coming out every seond? I have to add nothing. On the contrary, I get one more drop out.
I have seen a more explanatory announcement that specifies
A positive leap second will be introduced at the end of December 2016.
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
A positive leap second will be introduced at the end of December 2016.
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
Don Seltzer
