World time changes from May 1406; The end of the leap second evening

According to ICT News; The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) decided to stop using the leap second from May 20, 2027 (May 30, 1406) with the vote of the representatives of 69 countries at the 28th General Conference of Weights and Measures in Versailles, France. This decision is changed in order to reduce the risk […] written by Zaman Jahni from May 1406; The end of the second leap second evening, the first time in ICT News Mr

According to ICT News; The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) decided to stop using the leap second from May 20, 2027 (May 30, 1406) with the vote of the representatives of 69 countries at the 28th General Conference of Weights and Measures in Versailles, France. This decision was taken in order to reduce the risk of disruption in computer systems and infrastructures that depend on accurate time coordination.

What is a leap second and why is it removed?

A leap second is a correction sometimes added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to account for the difference between time based on atomic clocks and astronomical time, which is derived from the Earth's rotation. This amendment has been applied 27 times since 1972 and the last time was on December 31, 2016.

The main reason for removing this system is the problems it creates for digital systems. Adding a second to a minute, i.e. turning 60 seconds into 61 seconds, can be problematic for software and servers. Modern digital systems, including financial markets, telecommunications networks, satellite navigation systems, and power grids, depend on highly accurate and continuous time.

Instead of leap second, the "leap hour" mechanism will be applied. In this method, the difference between the Universal Coordinated Time and the Astronomical Time can gradually increase, and only when this difference reaches 3,600 seconds, i.e. one hour, the correction is made. It is predicted that it will take thousands of years for this difference to reach one hour and the use of leap clocks will become necessary. Some estimates consider this period to be around 3,000 years.

History of leap second disorders

The addition of the leap second in 2012 caused websites such as Reddit and LinkedIn to crash and Qantas flights to be delayed. In 2016, the Cloudflare system was disrupted. These experiences led major technology companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon to support the elimination of leap seconds. In 2008, to avoid disruption, Google "spread" the leap second over 20 hours instead of adding it all at once.

The main concern was that the Earth had been spinning faster in recent years and that a "negative leap second" might be needed for the first time in history; It means removing one second from world time. Such an action has never been implemented and can create unknown risks for software systems.

"When the leap second system was invented, society was not working with very, very small time precision," said Christian Bizoard of the Earth's Rotation Service. But now there are many applications that require sub-second time accuracy; For example, financial systems. "Because of this, changing UTC by as little as one second is a problem."

Impact on astrology and future changes

Astronomers who used UTC as a standard for solar time could no longer rely on it and had to use other sources for their needs.

The BIPM also called for proposals for a new definition of the second, as optical clocks are now much more accurate than the cesium clock on which current time is based. International agencies have also been asked to begin reviewing how to define universal standard time for the moon.

Stop using leap seconds until 2035

BIPM members had previously agreed in 2022 that the use of the leap second would cease by 2035 at the latest. But the new decision brought forward this change and set the date on May 20, 2027.

The decision of 69 countries of the world to eliminate the leap second is considered a turning point in the history of time measurement. This decision shows the victory of atomic time over astronomical time; A victory rooted in the reality of today's digital world. In a world where millions of financial transactions occur every second and navigation and telecommunications systems depend on subsecond accuracy, adding a second to time can lead to chain disruptions.

It is noteworthy that this decision, contrary to popular belief, does not mean the end of the synchronization of time with the rotation of the Earth. The leap clock mechanism still maintains this synchronization, but at much longer intervals and in a less noticeable way. This approach maintains a balance between atomic precision and astronomical reality.

The main consequence of this decision for ordinary users is the end of periodic disruptions in digital systems. No more websites crashing or financial transactions being disrupted the moment a leap second is added. For technology experts, this decision changes the meaning of the universal time from May 1406; The end of the leap second evening

Finally, this decision shows that even concepts as old as time are subject to change in the face of technological developments. The digital world imposes its standards on physical realities, and this time, astronomical time has been forced to give way to atomic precision.