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[Cthulhu]

So, there are 364 ³/₄ days in a year, right?  That's the actual length of the Earth's orbit, right?  It loses a quarter of a day each year so they add a day every leap year...

Does this mean that the Earth's Orbit is getting shorter?  They can't just arbitrarily add a day to the Earth's orbit.  Are we getting a quarter of a day closer to the sun each year?  I've wondered about this for years.

[umiman]

I think it's a rounding correction issue. Basically, every year is supposed to be longer by 1/4 of a day. So to correct this, they add an extra day every 4 years.

[Jude]

Every year is 365 1/4 years. The orbit isn't getting longer (well, if it's changing, which it surely is, it's at a considerably slower rate) and they compensate with leap years.

[Il Palazzo]

umiman's right. And it's 365 and 1/4th of a day per year, rather than 364 and 3/4.
To be even more precise, it's slightly less than 1/4th, so whenever the leap year is divisible by 100, you do not add the extra day in February.

ugh, bloody ninja

[Cthulhu]

So it's not getting shorter?

Darnit, I was going to add up when the orbit would bring it too close to sustain life and stand outside shouting the day the world will end.

[Il Palazzo]

Actually, the Earth's movement around the sun is being slowed down due to drag(against solar wind, mostly), which in turn brings our planet closer to the Sun. So, yeah, you can do your calculations, if you want to, but the effect is so minute, that the sun will go *bang* way before it'll become significant.

[umiman]

I think they added two seconds last year...

[JoshuaFH]

Makes one wonder if the year was significantly longer/shorter millions of years ago when dinosaurs existed.

[Vactor]

the earth spins independently of its orbit, days are not a division of a year, a day is a revolution of the earth, a year is a circuit of its orbit, its like the tire on your car turning 34.238 times when you drive 500 feet, there is no reason for the numbers to match up as integers.

[Jude]

Makes one wonder if the year was significantly longer/shorter millions of years ago when dinosaurs existed.

Nah. The changes are reallllllllllllly gradual.

[Vactor]

Makes one wonder if the year was significantly longer/shorter millions of years ago when dinosaurs existed.

Nah. The changes are reallllllllllllly gradual.

Something like slowing a Semi down by shouting at it

[Idiom]

So, there are 364 ³/₄ days in a year, right?  That's the actual length of the Earth's orbit, right?  It loses a quarter of a day each year so they add a day every leap year...

Does this mean that the Earth's Orbit is getting shorter?  They can't just arbitrarily add a day to the Earth's orbit.  Are we getting a quarter of a day closer to the sun each year?  I've wondered about this for years.

Why be bothered about it if you'll never live long enough to be affected?

[Cheeetar]

So, there are 364 ³/₄ days in a year, right?  That's the actual length of the Earth's orbit, right?  It loses a quarter of a day each year so they add a day every leap year...

Does this mean that the Earth's Orbit is getting shorter?  They can't just arbitrarily add a day to the Earth's orbit.  Are we getting a quarter of a day closer to the sun each year?  I've wondered about this for years.

Why be bothered about it if you'll never live long enough to be affected?

Why bother about any long term effects if you're old? So someone along the line gets the benefit.

[Idiom]

So, there are 364 ³/₄ days in a year, right?  That's the actual length of the Earth's orbit, right?  It loses a quarter of a day each year so they add a day every leap year...

Does this mean that the Earth's Orbit is getting shorter?  They can't just arbitrarily add a day to the Earth's orbit.  Are we getting a quarter of a day closer to the sun each year?  I've wondered about this for years.

Why be bothered about it if you'll never live long enough to be affected?

Why bother about any long term effects if you're old? So someone along the line gets the benefit.

I wasn't aware that Cthulu knowing the exact rate at which the Earth loses speed in it's orbit would save his children, but I guess it would now that I think about it.

[Yanlin]

Hey, at least we'll know when to abandon ship and go for Mars.

Here, you can have this magical terraforming machine.