Leap Year: How many years is it and what happens to people born on February 29?
lYou Leap year They are a peculiarity of the calendar that occurs from time to time and which, although familiar to many people, usually raises some doubts and curiosities. Next we tell you what are leap yearsWhat is their frequency and why do they occur, as well as what happens to people who are born with them? 29 February, Same date on the calendar.
Today in Mexico and the world There is an extra day in the second month of the year. February has accustomed us to 28 days; However, 2024 becomes a leap year when celebrating on the 29th.
What is leap year?
A leap year is one in which there is an extra day, Adding a total of 366 days instead of the normal 365, This extra day, known as a leap day, is added to the calendar to compensate for the discrepancy between the solar year (the time it takes the Earth to revolve around the Sun) and the calendar year.
According to the explanation of Daniel Flores expert of UNAM Astronomy InstituteThe introduction of a leap year corresponds to the necessary adjustments to the calendar to ensure that its length remains 365 days, aligning with the period of Earth’s orbit around the Sun. This period is technically called tropical yearCovers 365.242196 days, which is equal to 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45.734 seconds.
frequency of leap years
Finding the frequency of leap years is an interesting aspect. According to the Julian calendar, implemented by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar in 46 BC, Leap year occurs every four years, However, to more accurately adjust the calendar to the solar year, a modification to the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582.
This setting states that years divisible by 100 will not be leap years unless they are also divisible by 400. This additional rule ensures that the length of the average year is 365.2425 days, bringing it closer to the solar year and providing greater precision. Almanac .
What happens to people born on February 29th?
One of the most notable curiosities of leap years are people born on February 29, also known as “Leaplings” or “year-olds”. These people celebrate their birthday only once every four years, In non-leap years, its celebration date is moved to 28 February or 1 March.