SAN JOSE, Calif. – Is 2008 over yet? Wait a second.
As if this year didn’t feel long enough, the world’s timekeepers have made it longer. They’re adding one extra second to 2008, so that official clocks are in sync with the planet’s rotation.
Worldwide, the second is added at midnight Coordinated Universal Time, which is 7 p.m. in Maine.
The problem is that unlike atomic clocks, the earth’s rotational spin is slowing down, extending the solar day. The last leap second was on Dec. 31, 2005.
Over time, if clocks weren’t reset, future generations would face early morning sunsets – and they would cheer the New Year’s Eve ball dropping in the bright sunshine.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login to participate in the conversation. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.
-
MaineWhen do COVID-19 guidelines become enforceable mandates?
-
Election 2020
Political mail piling up across Maine in unusual election year
-
Sports
It’s been a challenging fall for these college athletes
-
Bicentennial
On this date in Maine history: Oct. 25
-
Schools & Education
‘Nothing is the same’: Educators adapt to teaching in the COVID-19 era
