The All-Union Research Institute of Physical-Technical and Radio-Engineering Measurements told why we periodically increase the day
2016 will last one second longer than its predecessor. However, the earthlings themselves will not have to move the clock back to this single second. For them, specialists will do it at the time standard on the night of January 1, 2017. Members of the International Earth Rotation Service came to the decision to lengthen the year. Firstly, in order to harmonize the course of the atomic clock, which initially exceeded the speed of rotation of the Earth, and secondly, so as not to "run away" far ahead from our gradually slowing down planet.
According to the All-Union Research Institute of Physical-Technical and Radio-Engineering Measurements (VNIIFTRI), by tradition, an extra second is added to the days at the end of December or at the end of June - beginning of July. But not annually, but only in years when atomic (reference) clocks begin to significantly outstrip astronomical ones due to the uneven rotation of our planet. For example, the last two times the second was added on July 1, 2013 and July 1, 2015.
It turns out that the translation of the arrows this year will be made after only a year and a half, and not two, as was done before. This suggests that planet Earth has begun to slow down and, most likely, this slowdown will continue over the next 10 years. This short period (such alternating with 10-year accelerations) will coincide with the global 1000-year deceleration of our planet. This can be influenced by lunar tides, friction of cosmic particles and many other factors, some of which are quite controversial. One of these "incredible" hypotheses says that the earth's core is gradually increasing in volume, which is why the size of the planet itself grows and it is forced to slow down.
So, on New Year's Eve, the last second of the outgoing year will actually be not the 60th, but the 61st second of 2016.
reference
The average day has 86,400 seconds. However, due to the uneven rotation of the Earth, each day “accumulates” or “loses” a fraction of a second. For example, on October 1, 2016, a day was equal to 86400 seconds plus 1.325 milliseconds, on October 3, 1.156 milliseconds were added to the day, and on October 5, 1.044 milliseconds.
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Meanwhile, VNIIFTRI denied the "news" that the October 2016 is a unique period repeating only once every 825 years. Gullible users were presented as an indisputable fact that the main distinguishing feature of this October is the presence of five Mondays, five Saturdays and five Sundays.
Having tested this "hypothesis", the scientists gave us the following. October 2016 is not as unique as the social network says. So, there were five Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays in December 2013, March 2014 and August 2015. As for the "extended" for 5 weeks in October, it turned out to be not so rare. For example, the last time October was in 2011.
Natalia Vedeneeva