Photo courtesy of hornblowerholidays


Party like you've got an extra second!

New Year's Eve will last one second longer due to a leap second. This coming New Year's Eve, the radio controlled clocks will, after 0:59:59, instead of jumping to 1 o'clock at the next tick of the second, pause shortly in order to insert a small portion of extra time: a leap second.

Science Daily

This extra second is necessary because official time depends on two timescales—one that uses atomic clocks and another that is dependent on the earth’s rotation—and they don’t match up perfectly. The scientific details are here at Smithsonian.com.

What to do with that extra second? Kiss a little longer, cheer a little longer, see one more perfect firework painted against the sky, savor the threshold of 2008 for one last second before rushing into the new year — hold your breath and make a wish; may your New Year's wishes come true.

Happy New Year!


tanka with kigo
Annette Marie Hyder

new year's eve is like
the unopened box that holds
new shoes I adore

can't wait to slip into them
and wear them out of the store