Posted on 02/29/2008 5:00:01 AM PST by Lucky9teen
February 29th eh?
Why do we have Leap Day?
Observatory: Our solar year (the time required for Earth to travel once around the Sun) is 365.24219 days.
Our calendar year is either 365 days in non leap years or 366 days in leap years (Feb 29th inserted).
A leap year every 4 years gives us 365.25 days, sending our seasons off course and eventually in the wrong months.
To change .25 days to .24219, we need to skip a few leap days (Feb 29ths) .... century marks not divisible by 400. So with a few calculations tweek the calendar by skipping 3 of 4 century leap years to average out our calendar year to 365.2425, which is pretty darn close to the solar year 365.24219.
Here’s the history:
The Romans originally had a 355-day calendar. To keep up with the seasons, an extra 22 or 23-day month was inserted every second year. For reasons unknown, this extra month was only observed now and then. By Julius Caesar’s time, the seasons no longer occurred at the same calendar periods as history had shown. To correct this, Caesar eliminated the extra month and added one or two extra days to the end of various months (his month included, which was Quintilis, later renamed Julius we know it as July). This extended the calendar to 365 days. Also intended was an extra calendar day every fourth year (following the 28th day of Februarius). However, after Caesar’s death in 44 B.C., the calendars were written with an extra day every 3 years instead of every 4 until corrected in 8 A.D. So again, the calendar drifted away from the seasons. By 1582, Pope Gregory XIII recognized that Easter would eventually become closer and closer to Christmas. The calendar was reformed so that a leap day would occur in any year that is divisible by 4 but not divisible by 100 except when the year is divisible by 400. Thus 1600 and 2000, although century marks, have a Leap Day.
The calendar we use today, known as the Gregorian calendar, makes our year 365.2425 days only off from our solar year by .00031, which amounts to only one day’s error after 4,000 years.
We are a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, stuffed with creamy filling.
Actually, that sounds a bit kinky!
I’ve been called the tail end of a colon before.
Ouch! Turn down those hi-beams!
I'd expect nothing less from you.
| You Are a Question Mark |
 And while you know a lot, you don't act like a know it all. You're open to learning you're wrong. You ask a lot of questions, collect a lot of data, and always dig deep to find out more. You're naturally curious and inquisitive. You jump to ask a question when the opportunity arises. Your friends see you as interesting, insightful, and thought provoking. (But they're not always up for the intense inquisitions that you love!) You excel in: Higher education You get along best with: The Comma |
You order cookies from ebay? I get these same cookies from ‘Albertsons’ here in florida....no P&H!
We don’t have Albertson’s in Michigan. Wish we did!
A marine sits down for a flight next to two men who are obviously muslim. The marine slips off his shoes once the flight is underway and gets out of his seat, telling the two muslim men that he is going back to the galley to get a soda, and asking if they want one. One of the muslims says yes. While the marine is away one of the muslims spit in the marines shoe. An hour or so later the marine does the same thing, and the second muslim says he’ll take a soda also. While the marine is away the second muslim spits in his shoe.
When the flight lands the marine slips his feet into his shoes. He realizes what has happened and says “Will this never end? The hatred? The spitting in shoes? The peeing in sodas?”
Neat picture - is that London?
“Nature vs. Nurture”
I don’t think Nurture is going to get much sleep...
..."from my brother's reaction, it looks like the Captain found the holes I bit through the rubber raft"
The fifth Friday of February...how often does that happen?
Here’s the real reason why leap years have an extra day: To annoy the voters as much as possible with primaries and politicking during election years!
Yes
Wish I was there right now....
That is beautiful. Where is “there” that we all wish we were?
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