[LEAPSECS] Leapsecs Listserve Moving.

[M. Warner Losh]

In message: <7623093C-60C6-43CE-A6CE-D73557F18482 at noao.edu>
            Rob Seaman <seaman at noao.edu> writes:

: On Jan 31, 2007, at 8:52 PM, M. Warner Losh wrote:

: 

: > and 13 times when a leap second could have been inserted, but wasn't

: > :-)

: 

: Make that 1 out of 84 opportunities by the standard as written.


Well, bulletin C says:

 Leap seconds can be introduced in UTC at the end of the months of December 
 or June,  depending on the evolution of UT1-TAI. Bulletin C is mailed every  
 six months, either to announce a time step in UTC, or to confirm that there 
 will be no time step at the next possible date.

which is what I based my statement on.  The standard says that June
and December are primary, and March and October are secondary times
for a leap second.  Much of the gear in the field handles Jun/Dec OK.
Some handles Mar/Oct.  But much of it won't handle Mar/Oct or other
months.  ntpd handles only June/December.  This whole monthly thing,
while technically allowed in the UTC standard, as a practical matter
won't happen for a long, long time.  Even when the quadratic nature of
leapseconds causes their frequency to be more often, I suspect a
different mechanism will need to be in place.

Warner