Understanding Leap Years: Why Does February Have 29 Days?
Discover why February 29 exists and how leap years work to keep our calendar in sync with the seasons.
0 views
February 29 appears in a leap year to help align the calendar year with the astronomical year. The Earth takes approximately 365.25 days to orbit the Sun, so an extra day is added every four years to account for the additional 0.25 days annually. This adjustment maintains the consistency of the seasons over time and keeps the calendar accurate.
FAQs & Answers
- How often does February have 29 days? February has 29 days every four years during a leap year.
- What is the history of leap years? Leap years were introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE to align the calendar with the solar year.
- What happens to the calendar if we didn't have leap years? Without leap years, our calendar would gradually drift out of sync with the seasons.
- How is a leap year determined? A year is considered a leap year if it is divisible by 4, except for end-of-century years, which must be divisible by 400.