Why do Leap Years usually happen every four years?

[SBR Drew]

During a Leap Year, one extra day is added to the Gregorian calendar, meaning that there are 366 days in the year in total.

The calendar dictates that there are 365 days in the year, as this is the approximate time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun.


However, the time it actually takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun – to be exact – is closer to 365.25 days.

Therefore, in order to ensure that the calendar seasons remain synchronised with the solar seasons, an additional day is marked on the calendar every four years.
According to Daniel Brown, associate professor in the School of Science and Technology at Nottingham Trent University, if we didn’t observe Leap Years, then in around 750 years’ time, the coldest time of the year would fall in June.

[SBR Drew]

What is Leap Day?

Leap Day occurs at the end of February, giving the second month of the year 29 days instead of its usual 28.


The first Leap Day was introduced by Julius Caesar on the Julian Calendar, which he established in 45 BC.

Prior to the rule of the Roman Emperor Augustus, which began in 27 BC, it is said that the month of February had 30 days, while the month of August had 29.
It is believed that Augustus wanted his dedicated month, the 29-day August, to have as many days as the month named after Julius Caesar, the 31-day July.
The theory dictates that the emperor then decided to remove two days from February to add onto August, thus making February a 28-day month.

[SBR Drew]

When is the next Leap Year?

The next Leap Year will take place in 2024.

[gauchojake]

When was the last time a leap year didn't happen at a 4 year interval?

[SBR Drew]

[ArunSh]

Does everyone remember what they were doing on February 29, 2000?

Since Leap Day only occurs at the turn of the century when the year is divisible by 400 (not by 4 like most years), the next Leap Day at turn of century won't be until the year 2400! So a monumental occasion that was...

[pologq]

leap years are every 4 years, not "usually" every 4 years

[gojetsgomoxies]

it's kinda weird that the one year cycle seems to be exactly 365 days and 6 hours....... seems funny it comes down exactly to a quarter of day. for the remainder........ if it 3/8, how would we do it?

i seem to recall the official clock being adjusted by one second occasionally........ reminds me of geoglogists, they think it's a big deal that australia has moved half an inch in the last 100 years. how would you even think to measure that?

[gojetsgomoxies]

actually now that i think about it, 3/8 would mean we'd have 3 leap years in 8 total years. i was thinking more an irrational number where it might not be that easy to adjust things.

[pologq]

it is quite amazing how we as people calculate something arbitrarily like time in the grand scheme of years and leap years

[gauchojake]

you said USUALLY so I was just curious

[Carseller4]

An extra day of Trump being President!

[unusialsusp5]

i thought everyone learned and knew this in the 4th grade. it is brought up by teachers or used to be in every elementary school classroom.

[gauchojake]

very unusial

[MinnesotaFats]

I wonder what countries on the Julian calander did?? I think Russia was on that till the Bolsheviks...

[gojetsgomoxies]

it is quite amazing how we as people calculate something arbitrarily like time in the grand scheme of years and leap years

i would say time isn't really arbitrary, given that we have the seasons........ without the seasons, then it would be much more arbitrary. i guess we'd still have relative age of people (kids, babies, elderly etc.)

[gauchojake]

lol at arbitrary

[ThaTopMoron]

Does everyone remember what they were doing on February 29, 2000?

Since Leap Day only occurs at the turn of the century when the year is divisible by 400 (not by 4 like most years), the next Leap Day at turn of century won't be until the year 2400! So a monumental occasion that was...

prob rubbing one out to britney spears after listening to eminem