Timekeepers Abolish Leap Seconds and Introduce Leap Hour
Participants of the 28th General Conference on Weights and Measures in France voted to abandon regular leap seconds and switch to compensating time in one-hour steps.
The decision was made on October 15, 2026. Since 1972, the coordination of worldwide coordinated time UTC, counted by atomic clocks, and astronomical time UT1 has been ensured by adding extra seconds - a total of 27 seconds have been added to UTC. According to the rules, the discrepancy between the scales should not have exceeded 0.9 seconds. Such adjustments caused malfunctions in telecommunications networks, transport, and computer systems.
In 2026, due to the acceleration of the planet's rotation, observed approximately since 2020, the question of subtracting a second from official time arose for the first time. Instead of introducing a negative correction, the conference participants decided to increase the allowable gap between atomic and astronomical time to 3600 seconds.
It has been decided to adjust the discrepancy by adding a "leap hour" once. According to experts' estimates, the need for such a procedure will arise only in hundreds or thousands of years.
What it means
The decision eliminates the need for regular manual or software time correction by one second, reducing the risk of malfunctions in the operation of servers, telecommunications, and navigation systems.
Sources
- Hi-Tech Mail: Ученые заменят високосную секунду на дополнительный час: в чем дело media outlet
- N + 1: Хронометристы не стали вводить отрицательную високосную секунду media outlet
- Хабр: Хронометристы официально отказались от високосной секунды и заменили её «високосным часом» media outlet
This article was prepared with the help of AI and translated from the Russian original. Spotted an error — let us know.
Published 17 October 2026, 06:01 · No updates · Russian original
Comments on this story live under its post in our Telegram channel. Comment on Telegram