F-ckin Leap Seconds, how do they work?

Eugen Leitl eugen at leitl.org
Tue Jul 3 20:47:52 UTC 2012


On Tue, Jul 03, 2012 at 09:49:40PM +0200, Peter Lothberg wrote:

> I leave the computer kernels out of this for a second..:-)
> 
> We have a timescale that runs at constant speed forward it's named
> "TAI", it is based on the definition on the atomic second. 

Notice that in inertial frame dragging context it's provably
impossible to synchronize oscillators. Luckily, Earth has
negligible frame dragging, for the kind of accuracy we
currently need.

For operative values of time lunaticism, there's always
http://www.leapsecond.com/time-nuts.htm 




More information about the NANOG mailing list