Leap second

TypeCycle
TraditionInternational
BasisAtomic time
Introduced / date1972
Key figure27 added (1972–2016)

About the Leap second

Leap seconds are inserted into Coordinated Universal Time to keep it within 0.9 seconds of time based on the Earth's rotation. Twenty-seven positive leap seconds were added between 1972 and the end of 2016. The General Conference on Weights and Measures decided in 2022 to let the gap grow larger from 2035, effectively ending leap seconds.

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