nanog mailing list archives
RE: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work?
From: "Keith Medcalf" <kmedcalf () dessus com>
Date: Tue, 03 Jul 2012 16:20:14 -0600
Leap seconds are to align the artificial and very stable atomic timescale with the irregular and slowing rotation of the earth.
You are assuming facts not in evidence. The rotation is merely irregular within the capabilities of our scheme of measurement, calculation, and observation. Once upon a time eclipses of the sun and moon were "random magic", before the mechanism was understood. So to the periodic cycles of the rotation of the earth about its axis, the planet about the sun, etc., are viewed as "magical". This is not due to magic, but rather limitations of understanding. Leap seconds are to align the artifical timescale (which we presently assume, based on facts not in evidence) to be very stable with the simple observation of the equinox and zenith of the sun, on which "time" reconning is based. --- () ascii ribbon campaign against html e-mail /\ www.asciiribbon.org
Current thread:
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work?, (continued)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Peter Lothberg (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Tony Finch (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Owen DeLong (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Chris Adams (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Jay Ashworth (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Majdi S. Abbas (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Paul Graydon (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Steve Allen (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Saku Ytti (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Tony Finch (Jul 03)
- RE: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Keith Medcalf (Jul 03)
- RE: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Tony Finch (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Majdi S. Abbas (Jul 03)
- RE: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Keith Medcalf (Jul 03)
- RE: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Tony Finch (Jul 03)
- RE: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Peter Lothberg (Jul 05)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Marshall Eubanks (Jul 05)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? George Herbert (Jul 05)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Randy Fischer (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Tony Finch (Jul 03)
- Re: F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work? Joel jaeggli (Jul 03)