Apparently the earth is not cooperating properly so there is a leap second being added at the end of the year. Looks like many of us are going to need new firmwear...
... or maybe some firmWARE. With this cold snap, the firmwear might be more appropriate. 🙂
Sorry, I just couldn't resist!
Asbestos ones! Yeah!
Nate: Asbestos underwear? The post about habaneros is elsewhere on this forum...:eek:
Jim in AZ, post: 402935, member: 249 wrote: Apparently the earth is not cooperating properly so there is a leap second being added at the end of the year. Looks like many of us are going to need new firmwear...
Well it's not the earth's job to cooperate.
Leap seconds will continue every 12-18 months forever. Sometimes longer intervals. For instance, from 1999 to 2006 there were no leap seconds. Which was because the earth's rotation actually sped up. Then not until 2006 and and again in 2009, which is longer than usual. From 1972 to 1994 they were almost annual.
I've not seen a GPS receiver that had a problem with leap second. Software not so much.
Hardly occur at regular intervals... 
Leica geosystems and Geomax inform customers via their veb page.you could read the instructions how to fix possible issues on VIVA GS receivers and LEICA GEO OFFICE and ...
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Larry Scott, post: 403339, member: 8766 wrote: Well it's not the earth's job to cooperate.
Leap seconds will continue every 12-18 months forever. Sometimes longer intervals. For instance, from 1999 to 2006 there were no leap seconds. Which was because the earth's rotation actually sped up. Then not until 2006 and and again in 2009, which is longer than usual. From 1972 to 1994 they were almost annual.
I've not seen a GPS receiver that had a problem with leap second. Software not so much.
It's amazing to me that we can measure so accurately now that changes in the earth's rotational speed due to the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere are detectable...
Jim in AZ, post: 403976, member: 249 wrote: It's amazing to me that we can measure so accurately now that changes in the earth's rotational speed due to the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere are detectable...
I thought it was the tidal currents hitting the mid-oceanic ridges that was slowing down the rotation.
ekmanspiral, post: 405238, member: 3512 wrote: I thought it was the tidal currents hitting the mid-oceanic ridges that was slowing down the rotation.
That is one of many factors, as is the location, direction and speed of jet stream winds...
ekmanspiral, post: 405238, member: 3512 wrote: I thought it was the tidal currents hitting the mid-oceanic ridges that was slowing down the rotation.
Tidal drag is the big component in the long term. And there is a seasonal change in the earth's rotation.
ekmanspiral, post: 405238, member: 3512 wrote: I thought it was the tidal currents hitting the mid-oceanic ridges that was slowing down the rotation.
Tidal drag is the big cause of slowing of the rotation, but it's centuries long. Leap second is mostly due to redefinition of the SI second from a fraction of the mean length of a solar day to a fraction of the mean tropical year. Then redefined to an atomic definition. We live by GMT, and that's not based on the SI second. At high precision, the length of a solar day does have a seasonal variation due to atmosphere (winds) and several other factors.
http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/second.html
Jim in AZ, post: 405242, member: 249 wrote: That is one of many factors, as is the location, direction and speed of jet stream winds...
As well as the adverse effects from the hot air emanating from Washington, DC...:p
Leap seconds used to be more often. It used to be harder to keep track of them. Notice the hiatus from '99 to '05
