English Learning for Curious Minds #533 | The Science of Leap Years
Feb 27, 2025
Leap years play a crucial role in keeping our calendars aligned with Earth's orbit. Discover the fascinating history behind these adjustments, from early human calendars to Julius Caesar's Julian calendar and Pope Gregory XIII's reforms. The discussion touches on the inaccuracies in calendar calculations and the challenges of adopting the Gregorian system. Explore alternative calendars proposed over time, and ponder the impossibility of changing Earth's orbit for an exact year. Leap years highlight the ingenuity and adaptability of humankind!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Earth's Orbit and Leap Years
- The Earth's rotation takes 24 hours (a solar day), but its orbit around the sun isn't exactly 365 days.
- This discrepancy, roughly 365.24 days, led to the creation of leap years.
Early Calendars
- Early human calendars were often lunar-based, following the moon's cycle of roughly 29.5 days, totaling 354 days.
- Ancient civilizations, including Babylonians and Greeks, used lunar calendars, adjusting with extra months as needed.
Egyptian Solar Calendar
- Egyptians created a solar calendar based on the Nile's flooding and Sirius's movements, estimating a 365.25-day year.
- Their 12x 30-day month calendar, with five extra days at year's end, improved timekeeping but wasn't completely accurate.