Earth’s Rotation Requires Clock Shift
For the first time in history, scientists say we may have to subtract a second from world clocks. “Leap seconds” have occasionally been added, but they’ve never been subtracted.
Geophysicists say the Earth is rotating a bit faster than it used to, and atomic clocks will get out of sync with astronomical time if they’re not adjusted with what’s being called a “negative leap second.”
New measurements indicate that ice loss at the Earth’s poles has slowed its rotation enough to delay any change until as late as 2029. However, no one knows how modern software will handle the unprecedented adjustment.
