We all know that a year consists of 365 days. We also know that every four years, February receives an extra day. Have you ever wondered why we get an extra day every four years?
The Science Behind Leap Day
It takes approximately 24 hours – one day – for Earth to rotate on its axis. It takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours for Earth to rotate around the sun. Therefore, one year is not exactly 365 days, and most years are rounded down to 365 days. That’s why this Leap Year, we have an extra day to make up for that missing time from 2021, 2022, and 2023, so that our calendars match with the solar year.
Is Leap Day Necessary?
To some, it might not seem like a big deal that if we ditch Leap Day, we lose around 5 hours, 46 minutes, and 48 seconds every year. If we fast forward to a few hundred years, without Leap Years, seasons get unaligned with the months on the calendar. Not only that, but holidays will also take place in different seasons. For example, the 4th of July in the United States would take place in Winter instead of Summer.
Works cited
Munson, O. (2024, February 14). What is a leap year? Breaking down the science, and history, behind the ancient phenomenon. USA TODAY. Retrieved February 15, 2024, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2024/01/06/what-is-a-leap-year/72108115007/ (Original work published 2024)
What is a Leap Year? (2020, February 21). NASA Space Place. Retrieved February 9, 2024, from https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/leap-year/en/