Leap Seconds to Be Discontinued

• Leap seconds, adjustments to atomic clocks to account for Earth's changing rotation, will no longer be used.
• This change affects the synchronization between atomic time and Earth's rotation.
• The decision was made by the International Telecommunication Union and will take effect in the distant future.
• Earth's rotation will continue to change, but this will not be reflected in our timekeeping.
• The last leap second was added on December 31, 2016.