Brian Garrett wrote:
As interesting as the continuing theoretical discussions are (or at least, what I as an interested bystander can comprehend of them), I think it might be informative to see examples of how the leap second to be thrust upon us next week is affecting list members' current projects. Specific examples, rather than the generalities of the ongoing debate, might suggest specific solutions that a rubber-stamp solution from ITU would not necessarily be able to address.
Another interesting exercise would be to collect and compare reports from different time zones. As Steve Allen reports for example, observatories west of the Mississippi encounter the leap second during daylight - downtime for optical and IR facilities.
Other industries and activities will see the opposite behavior, with the leap second hitting during an active period at a particular longitude. Some industries are always active, but leap second behavior may vary with diurnal customer load, etc.
One might anticipate a latitude effect as well, although less pronounced. It may not be a coincidence that some of the more ardent supporters of mean solar time live in sunnier climes, and that those most dismissive live at high latitudes where the sun may be only a hypothesis through long months of the year :-)
Also a seasonal effect. By scheduling in June and December, leap seconds accentuate the distinction between northern and southern sensitivity to their effects since one hemisphere will be midwinter and one midsummer.
Again - the quickest way to effectuate change is to collect data to demonstrate what kind of change is needed.
Rob _______________________________________________ LEAPSECS mailing list LEAPSECS@leapsecond.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/leapsecs
