[LEAPSECS] Common Calendar Time (CCT) -Brooks Harris

[Brooks Harris]

On 2014-01-17 04:06 AM, Zefram wrote:

>> C) By declaring the anchor-point to existing TAI and UTC definitions

>> as 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z we have imposed an *uncompensated* Gregorian

>> calendar counting scheme on the proleptic part of the new timescale,

>> making 0000-01-01T00:00:00Z the origin of the new timescale.

> The proleptic Gregorian calendar is not limited in year range.

> Negative CE year numbers are valid, commonly used in astronomy, and ISO

> 8601 provides syntax for them.  0000-01-01 was preceded by -0001-12-31.

> There's no real origin here; the closest thing is the synchronisation

> point nominated by ISO 8601 at 1875-05-20 (the signing of the Convention

> of the Metre).

>

Yes, I understand that. Perhaps using the word "origin" was careless. 
Maybe you can suggest a better term.

The point was to make it clear there is a "0000-01-01T00:00:00Z" "date" 
on the new timescale, that dates earlier are negative, as you indicate, 
and dates later are positive.

Of course the idea is that dates after 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z are "earth 
corrected" (Leap Seconds). Application of "earth corrections" prior to 
1972 as they are applied to the NTP "prime epoch" for example, will need 
careful explanation.

-Brooks