Re: [LEAPSECS] Introduction of long term scheduling

From: M. Warner Losh <imp_at_BSDIMP.COM>
Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2007 14:20:09 -0700 (MST)

In message: <20070102201347.GB21404_at_ccil.org>
            John Cowan <cowan_at_ccil.org> writes:
: Warner Losh scripsit:
:
: > There's no provision for emergency leapseconds. They just have to be
: > at the end of the month, and annoucned 8 weeks in advance. IERS has
: > actually exceeded this mandate by announcing them ~24 weeks in advance
: > in recent history.
:
: So much the worse. That means that if the Earth hiccups on March 7, the
: value of |DUT1| will not return to normal until May 31.

Yes. But it would take a change in angular momementum would likely
mean that |DUT1| being a little too large would be the least of our
worries.

The earthquake that hit Indonesia last year changed the time of day by
microseconds. What would cause a sudden jump of hundreds of
milliseconds hurts my brain to contemplate.

Warner
Received on Tue Jan 02 2007 - 13:22:21 PST