<news@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>"Judson McClendon" <ju...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> The rotation of the Earth is also slowing. Have you noticed how many
>> leap seconds have been added in recent years? This will increase over
>> time.
>
>If so the rate hasn't *yet* started to increase:
>
>Leap seconds 1975-1979: 5
>Leap seconds 1980-1984: 3
>Leap seconds 1985-1989: 3
>Leap seconds 1990-1994: 4
>Leap seconds 1995-1999: 3
>Leap seconds 2000-2004: 0 (none!)
>
>"For unknown reasons, Earth has sped up after year 2000, so the mean
>solar day has become 1 ms shorter. So fewer leap seconds have been
>needed after year 2000" [Wikipedia].
Actually, the fact that they're adding *any* leap seconds shows the year
is longer. ;-)
A *slightly* more authoratative source than Wikipedia can be found at:
http://tf.nist.gov/pubs/bulletin/leapsecond.htm
:-)
But you're correct, the Earth tends to speed up and slow down, which is
one of the reason the equinoxes and solstices aren't at precise intervals.
All this is due to gravitational interaction between the Earth and other
bodies. Even we humans give the earth a wee ****ge now and again. :-)
--
Judson McClendon judmc@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(remove zero)
Sun Valley Systems http://sunvaley.com
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
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