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Timekeepers Drop the Leap Second, Add a Leap Hour

Since 1972 experts have added twenty-seven seconds to Coordinated Universal Time to match Earth's rotation; the new plan swaps those seconds for an hour.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on The Five O'Clock
Published 5:09 PM ET, Thursday, October 15, 2026

Photo: US Government / NIST · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

Photo: Leap second — Photo: US Government / NIST · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by Smithsonian Magazine: “It's Official: Timekeepers Have Gotten Rid of the Leap Second—and Introduced the Leap Hour Instead”.
Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 5:09 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

Smithsonian MagazineIt's Official: Timekeepers Have Gotten Rid of the Leap Second—and Introduced the Leap Hour Instead

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentOn the tech desk tonight, timekeepers have officially dropped the leap second, and they've introduced a leap hour in its place.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA whole extra hour. I already know where mine is going.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentSince nineteen seventy-two, experts have added twenty-seven seconds to keep our clocks lined up with Earth's rotation, and it was always an imperfect fix, so this is bookkeeping, not a gift.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA whole hour?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFor the computers that have to handle it, it's a headache, and the clock on your phone is the least of their worries.