Why time will stop in 2029: Scientist says a 'negative leap second' will be needed to adjust for Earth's rotation speeding up
We all know that an extra day is added in February once every four years – known as a leap year. To make up for irregularities in the Earth's spin, leap seconds are traditionally added - but for the first time, a second could be taken away, possibly in 2029 A leap second was last added on December 31, 2016. Professor Duncan Agnew at UC San Diego suggests removing a second in 2029 - so the final time reading of the year would be 23:59:58 What is a leap second? So while the Earth's rotation has been speeding up overall, global warming slows it down, delaying the need for a negative leap second. Without the slowing of Earth's rotation caused by melting ice, the negative leap second would be needed three years earlier, in 2026, Professor Agnew reports.
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