No more leap seconds! Timekeeping is officially changing
The world’s timekeepers announced on Thursday that leap seconds will no longer be added to clocks starting in May 2027. The post No more leap seconds! Timekeeping is officially changing first appeared on EarthSky .
Global timekeeping authorities have announced that leap seconds will be discontinued as of May 2027. This decision was made during a meeting of the General Conference on Weights and Measures on October 15, 2026. Leap seconds, which are added to clocks to account for Earth's slightly irregular rotation, can cause technology-related issues.
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the primary time system used worldwide, will now be allowed to diverge from Earth's rotation by up to one hour. This change will only be revisited if the divergence exceeds this limit, which is expected to take centuries. The adjustment aims to ensure seamless functioning of technology-dependent systems such as computers, satellite navigation, telecommunications, and power grids.
Despite the change, daily life will not be noticeably affected as the impact of leap seconds is already accounted for in seasonal variations and daylight saving time.
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