Why Does 2024 Have an Extra Day? Understanding Leap Years
Discover why 2024 is a leap year and how it affects our calendar. Learn about the extra day in February.
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2024 has an extra day because it is a leap year. Leap years occur every four years to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year, or the length of time it takes the Earth to complete its orbit around the Sun. This is done by adding February 29th, making the year 366 days instead of the usual 365.
FAQs & Answers
- What is a leap year? A leap year is a year that has one extra day, February 29th, to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year.
- Why do we have leap years every four years? Leap years occur every four years to correct for the fact that the Earth's orbit around the Sun is about 365.25 days.
- What happens to leap year babies? People born on February 29th celebrate their birthday on March 1st or February 28th in non-leap years.
- How is the leap year determined? A year is a leap year if it is divisible by 4, but if it is divisible by 100, it must also be divisible by 400.