Clocks successfully re-align with earth's rotation
Was it as good for you as it was for us? The longest day of the year is flying by here at the Guardian’s Sydney HQ. Here’s how the leap second went down, in real time:
You can really feel the excitement, especially because we’ve slowed the video and replayed the reaction of our editor-in-chief, Emily Wilson, whose passion for this extraordinary moment has been the driving source for our live coverage.
Enjoy the rest of your morning, afternoon, or night, fellow time-travellers. The world’s clocks are as accurate as they’re going to be for three years. Make the most of it.
Updated
The chaos we all feared is upon us:
Twitter is having problem estimating how long ago tweets were sent. Seeing tweets from a minute ago say they were sent a day ago #leapsecond
— Tim Heckman (@theckman) July 1, 2015
Updated
Here’s Guardian Australia news editor Mike Ticher (his hands leathered by years of furious typing in air-conditioned offices) trying to capture history.
Good screenshot technique Mike.
Updated
As we bask in the vaguely post-coital (or is that just me?) aftermath of the longest minute since 2012, let’s savour this picture of how the leap second went down in the Guardian’s Sydney office.
(As the TV in the corner drones about something or other.)
Updated
Happy #LeapSecond! pic.twitter.com/tIZtHYMHWg
— jgeorge (@jgeorge) July 1, 2015
You can tell your grandkids about this some day. (Unless you already have them, in which case - go tell them now!)
Updated
I hope you all enjoyed the #LeapSecond! Personally, I had a low-key celebration at work with the administrative secretary. 🎉
— Katie Mack (@AstroKatie) July 1, 2015
Bet neither of you will ever forget it.
Amazing #leapsecond pic.twitter.com/DnuZeyHwtb
— Karen Barlow (@KJBar) July 1, 2015
The leap second appears to have unravelled Karen’s pink scarf - this is what happens when you mess with nature, people.
I think I just survived leap second 2015 O.o #leapsecond #2015
— David (@InfinitelyManic) July 1, 2015
Poor David thinks the danger has passed.
That #leapsecond was a total anticlimax.
— Heather Vegas (@heathervegas68) July 1, 2015
This tweet was roundly booed here at Leap Second Excitement HQ.
Updated
The aftermath
Think: that scene in 28 Days Later when your man walks out of hospital to find London abandoned.
We’re tracking the consequences of the leap second here in our usual sober, measured way. Time.gov took a little longer to load then usual. Any other consequences to report?
I’m not endorsing this comment, but let’s not rule out any possibilities.
Leap second passes as world braces for chaos
Bracing... Still bracing.
Consternation has erupted in Leap Second Excitement HQ (aka the Guardian office in Sydney) as we realise our clocks differ. We *think* it’s 9:59 aka the longest minute of our lives (since 2012).
Updated
People who use their seconds well #1
Jordan used seconds to win NBA Championships. What are you gonna do?
Updated
Take some time (trust me, you’ve got enough) to watch Nasa’s take on the incredible phenomenon we’re about to live through:
You're getting a #leapsecond today! See how we know about this extra second in your day. http://t.co/OdToNbx7qo https://t.co/ckZ1Ga9tMq
— NASA (@NASA) June 30, 2015
Updated
In seven minutes you're getting the gift of an extra second
Use it wisely, folks.
Updated
Your definitive guide to spending your extra second
Watch the atomic clock change to 00:59:60 (British Summer Time)
Instagram the second
Make a Vine of you Instagramming the second
Have a micro lie-in
Wink at someone
Listen: the world has come unstuck in time. This is a lot to think about early in the morning – or late, depending where you are – but bear with me. The leap second is looming. What is it? Let Peter Whibberley explain:
“Over centuries, the Earth has been slowing down,” he says. Surely in 2015 someone can invent a clock that keeps time accurately? Alas, that seems to be the problem.
“Atomic clocks keep much better time than the Earth itself,” Whibberley says. “They are more than a million times more stable.” Coordinated Universal Time, which the world abides by, comprises the average time of 400 caesium atomic clocks globally, all ticking away at the highest level of accuracy.
“Previously the Earth was the ultimate reference and man-made clocks were adjusted to match,” says Whibberley. “From the beginning of the 1960s, atomic clocks became the ultimate reference. They were adjusted to keep in step with the Earth. Then, in 1972, it was decided that, instead of adjusting how fast the clocks ticked, they would be left to tick away at the atomic rate and the leap second would be introduced.”
What’s the big deal? Well, the last time we meddled with time in this fashion it took out the web browser Mozilla. Reddit also crashed – briefly forcing hordes of young men into real-life social interaction – and Qantas bookings were disrupted more than two hours. (LinkedIn also went down, so it wasn’t all bad.)
Updated
WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!!!!!