leap second

Metrologists and timekeeping authorities are set to vote on abolishing the leap second, the occasional one-second adjustment added to Coordinated Universal Time since 1972 to keep clocks aligned with Earth's irregular rotation. Supporters argue the unpredictable corrections cause serious problems for computing and navigation systems, while critics worry that dropping them will let clock time drift slowly away from the solar day.

International timekeeping authorities are preparing to vote this week on abolishing the leap second, the practice of occasionally adjusting clocks back by one second to keep atomic time aligned with Earth's rotation. The proposed change would end decades of corrections that have caused disruption to computer systems, and observers expect the motion to pass amid growing support from tech companies and metrology bodies.