Why Do We Add a Leap Day Every Four Years?
Discover why we add an extra day every four years to keep our calendar aligned with the Earth's orbit.
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We add a day every 4 years, known as a leap day, to account for the fact that a year is actually about 365.25 days due to the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Without this correction, our calendar would slowly drift out of sync with the seasons. By adding an extra day in February every 4 years, we realign the calendar, ensuring that events like equinoxes and solstices occur around the same dates each year.
FAQs & Answers
- What happens if we didn't add a leap day? Without a leap day, our calendar would gradually drift out of sync with the seasons, impacting seasonal events.
- How do we determine leap years? Leap years occur every four years, except for years divisible by 100 but not divisible by 400.
- Why is February the month for a leap day? February was chosen as it is the shortest month, making it logical to add an extra day during the leap year.
- Are there any other calendar systems that use leap years? Yes, many calendar systems, including the Hebrew and Chinese calendars, also incorporate leap years.