[LEAPSECS] nails in the coffin of mean solar time

[Rob Seaman]

On Jun 15, 2007, at 3:06 AM, M. Warner Losh wrote:


> It all depends on how you define 'mean' and what the acceptable  

> error in your current estimator of that mean is.  Civilization, at  

> least in the USA, has shown that it can tolerate over an hour and a  

> half deviation from mean local solar time (Time Zones and Daylight  

> Savings Time show this).


Again, I won't belabor previous discussions.  Deviations between  
local time and zone time are static - and persist whether or not  
there are leap seconds.  Deviations between apparent solar time and  
mean solar time are periodic.  Embargoing leap seconds would  
introduce a secular term.  This is something new.  The familiar  
figure eight of the analemma would no longer close upon itself.

Rob Seaman
NOAO