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General Conference on Weights and Measures votes to abolish leap second from May 2027
En breve
The General Conference on Weights and Measures, meeting in France, decided on October 15 to abolish the leap second and introduce what Japanese outlets call a "leap hour", allowing the gap between atomic-clock time and Earth-rotation time to reach one hour (3,600 seconds). The change takes effect on May 20, 2027, according to several outlets. Leap seconds have been inserted 27 times since 1972 and have been linked to computer and network failures.
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The General Conference on Weights and Measures, meeting in France, decided on October 15 to abolish the leap second, which has been used to adjust the gap between world standard time based on atomic clocks and time based on Earth's rotation. In its place, the conference adopted what Japanese outlets call a "leap hour". Under the resolution, the allowed gap between the two times widens from 0.9 seconds to one hour (3,600 seconds), Sankei Shimbun reported. Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun said the change takes effect on May 20, 2027; Mainichi Shimbun said operations will change from May 2027. Sankei Shimbun said the conference was held in Versailles. TBS reported that the conference ran from October 13 to 15 and dates back to the 1880s. [ 1 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
Outlets differ on when a leap hour might first be needed. Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun said no adjustment would be needed for at least several hundred years, and Sankei Shimbun said for several centuries. Mainichi Shimbun said the first leap hour is expected in several hundred to 1,000 years. A TBS headline published before the vote put the next adjustment at about 7,000 years away. [ 1 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
Leap seconds were introduced in 1972 and have been inserted 27 times. The most recent was on January 1, 2017, when Japan added "8:59:60 a.m." just before 9 a.m. Sankei Shimbun said repeating the same second can make computers malfunction or systems stop, and that in 2012 a Japanese internet service provider had a server failure and airline check-in in Australia was disrupted, delaying many flights. Tokyo Shimbun said leap seconds had caused system failures at airlines and other companies. Yomiuri Shimbun reported that major US IT companies had sought abolition, citing the risk of faults in information infrastructure. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
Mainichi Shimbun said a review had been under discussion since around 2000. It reported that Earth's rotation had tended to slow but has recently been speeding up, raising concern about a first-ever "negative leap second" that removes one second; Asahi Shimbun reported the same concern. Mainichi Shimbun said one-hour adjustments are already common with summer time in Europe and the United States, so system effects are considered unlikely. Sankei Shimbun said the previous general conference in 2022 had decided to abolish the leap second by 2035. [ 4 , 8 , 11 ]
The conference also discussed redefining the second using optical clocks, such as the optical lattice clock devised by University of Tokyo professor Hidetoshi Katori (香取秀俊), and decided to keep preparing so that a new definition and its timing can be proposed at the next general conference in 2030, Sankei Shimbun reported. It also confirmed plans for international cooperation on a common time reference for lunar exploration. [ 8 , 11 , 14 ]
Por qué importa
Outlets reported that the change is meant to prevent system failures in communications and information systems caused by one-second adjustments, and Sankei Shimbun said it will help stabilise communications and financial transactions. Outlets expect no time adjustment to be needed for at least several hundred years.
Datos clave
- The General Conference on Weights and Measures decided on October 15 in France to abolish the leap second. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 13 ]
- The change takes effect on May 20, 2027. [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 14 , 16 ]
- The allowed gap between atomic-clock-based standard time and Earth-rotation time is widened from 0.9 seconds to one hour (3,600 seconds). [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- Leap seconds were introduced in 1972 and have been inserted 27 times. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 16 ]
- The most recent leap second was inserted on January 1, 2017, Japan time, as 8:59:60 a.m. [ 4 , 6 ]
- The previous general conference in 2022 had decided to abolish the leap second by 2035. [ 8 , 14 ]
- The conference also agreed to keep preparing a redefinition of the second using optical clocks, with a proposal aimed at the next general conference in 2030. [ 8 , 11 , 14 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- The General Conference on Weights and Measures, held in France, decided on October 15 to abolish the leap second. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 13 ]
- The leap second is replaced by a system allowing a gap of up to one hour (3,600 seconds). [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- The change takes effect on May 20, 2027. [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 14 ]
- Leap seconds have been carried out 27 times since their introduction in 1972. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- Leap seconds have caused system or communication failures. [ 7 , 8 , 11 ]
- Work toward a redefinition of the second for a 2030 proposal will continue. [ 8 , 11 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- When the first leap hour will be needed. Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun say no adjustment for several hundred years, Mainichi Shimbun says hundreds to 1,000 years, and a TBS headline published before the vote said about 7,000 years.
- Whether US IT companies pushed for the change. Only Yomiuri Shimbun reports that major US IT companies had sought abolition.
- The exact start date. Most outlets give May 20, 2027; Mainichi Shimbun says only that operations change from May 2027.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- October 14: TBS reports the vote on replacing the leap second with a leap hour is expected on October 15, Japan time. [ 1 ]
- October 15: Jiji Press reports the leap second has effectively been abolished. [ 3 ]
- October 15: Mainichi Shimbun reports the decision to introduce the leap hour. [ 4 ]
- October 16: NHK reports the decision and that a new definition of the second will be considered. [ 13 ]