Concept of leap year revealed

Ashton Bowman, Reporter & Editor

Leap year is the phenomenon of every four years, having a year with 366 days in it rather than 365. This “extra day” is added onto the month of February, occurring Feb. 29.

 

The concept of leap year was first calculated among the many by the Egyptians. Although, this concept was not added in until it started in Europe during Julius Caesar’s dictatorship when it was called the “Julian Calendar” (history.com).

 

The reason behind this “extra day” can be a bit difficult to understand. We have this day added on every four years, occurring this year in 2016, so that we can synchronize the solar year with the calendar year, according to lifescript.com.

 

The Earth does not rotate around the sun at exactly 365 days. Instead, it is more like 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds that the Earth takes to rotates around the sun. This lost, or extra time is made up by adding on one day to each calendar year every four years (superbeefy.com).

 

The only case in which a leap year would not occur, is if the year is evenly divisible by the number 100. Although, it does occur on years evenly divisible by the number 400. What this means is that if a year ending in “00” is divisible by 100 then leap year will not occur. But, if the year is divisible by both 100 and 400, leap year may still occur (superbeefy.com).