Count the second

Did it seem New Year’s Eve like you just couldn’t put 2008 behind you fast enough?

Sure, it makes sense, considering a weakened economy, wars around the globe, a tiring presidential campaign and trying to figure out why the Associated Press poll of 2008’s top stories included Hillary Clinton’s losing campaign but not Hurricane Ike.

However, there was a more concrete reason. Dec. 31, 2008, was extended by one second (just prior to 7 p.m. Eastern) to help keep the world’s finely tuned official clocks in sync with the world’s turning.

It was the 24th time since 1972 that such an adjustment was made.

As a youth, I was amazed by Leap Year – the fact that it occurred every four years except years divisible by 100 except years divisible by 400. Being calculated to the point of one day out of 400 years seemed pretty incredible.

But determining a one-second-per-year slowing in Earth’s spin is mind-boggling.