I for one would like to say a word of appreciation and thanks to the moderators who help so many people on this forum. I would also like to remind all you people who post your urgent problems on any of the forums that it only takes a minute to say "thank you" to the person who helps you resolve your problem. I know how very frustrating it is to follow a problem until it is (presumably) resolved and then have the person who posed the problem disappear without any acknowledgement of having been helped. Think how you would feel is you had invested your time and your expertise in helping someone and they didn't even say "thank you." - jayt 
Start of New Year to be delayed -- by a second
Posted by: Tweaker
Date added: 22:34, 26th December 2005 GMT
Source: CTV
2005 will last a little longer than usual -- one second to be precise.
A leap second will be added into the world's clocks just before midnight to match up the clocks with the earth's rotation. This will be the first leap second in seven years and the 23rd since 1972 when an international timekeeping agreement was signed.
Leap seconds are necessary because modern atomic clocks are extremely accurate while the earth's rotation has been slowing down because of tides. The clocks establish the official time, which is known as Coordinated Universal Time, for the world.
Atomic clocks use electromagnetic radiation emanated by Cesium atoms to measure time. That makes them extremely reliable, and unaffected by the earth's changes. The leap second syncs up the clocks with the planet's position in space.
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