The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) has confirmed that no leap second will be added at the end of December 2026. This decision may affect systems that rely on precise timekeeping and synchronization.
The IERS has announced that no leap second will be inserted at the end of December 2026. Leap seconds are occasionally added to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to account for irregularities in Earth's rotation. The last leap second was added in December 2016.
Without the addition of a leap second in December 2026, systems that rely on precise timekeeping may require adjustments to avoid drift. This includes global positioning systems (GPS) and certain telecommunications technologies, which depend on accurate time synchronization for functionality.
The decision not to add a leap second has sparked discussions about the future of leap seconds. Some stakeholders argue for their elimination due to complications they introduce in various systems while others suggest continuing the practice to maintain alignment with astronomical time.
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The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) has confirmed that no leap second will be added at the end of December 2026. This decision may affect systems that rely on precise timekeeping and synchronization.