What is the Leap Year
Pattern?
Specific Question:
|
To: |
jake@planetarium.cc |
|
Subject: |
Equinox |
|
Date: |
Fri, 24 Feb
2006 09:40:59 -0600 |
My question is in regard to the actual number of
solar days in a solar year,
I am only addressing the natural relationship
between the Sun and the Earth from a fixed and anchored point,
This would be sunrise on the day of the spring
equinox and from sunrise to sunrise for each day,
Therefore the actual number of solar days in a
solar year will be a whole number, and have nothing to do with the many
confusing calendars and man made divisions,
I find a repeating four (4) year pattern where
every fourth year is made up of 366 solar days and the three years in between
are made up of 365 solar days,
Am I correct in regard to this four year pattern
?
Answer:
Defining the year, for Planet Earth is not easy. The average Gregorian Year is 365.2425 days,
while the average Julian year is simply
365.25 days. When the Julian year was in use, most years had 365 days while
every fourth year had 366 days.
However, by the time of Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, Easter was
becoming very difficult to calculate as the Vernal Equinox had shifted from the
traditional March 21, as the Julian year was not precise. Hence with the Gregorian calendar reform, leap
years were skipped in years ending in “00” except every fourth such year (i.e.
years evenly divisible by 400). Hence, the years 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not
leap years while the year 2000 was a leap year. All other years evenly
divisible by four continue to be leap years.
Here is an Internet link, with an essay on the Gregorian Calendar
Reform:
< http://www.polysyllabic.com/GregConv.html
>
gaw