Answered: Why there is a Leap Day every four years

This extra day is added to the calendar every four years to keep it synchronized with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun, so we want to know what you’re going to do with the extra time.

By Laura Figi, Samantha Robertson

, February 28, 2024

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Relish this Leap Day — the next one won’t be until 2028.

Photo by ATXtoday

Leap Day is upon us, Austinites.

Every four years, we experience a leap year with ~366 days instead of the usual 365. Well, 365.25 days , to be more accurate.

Astronomically long story short — this extra day is added to the calendar every four years to keep it synchronized with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun. Without leap years, our calendar would gradually fall out of sync about one-quarter of a day behind the solar year.

Basically, without it, our current calendars would be off by ~501 days — so Feb 28, 2024, would actually be July 13, 2025, or the middle of summer, according to the handy time calculator. Pretty weird, huh?

So what do you plan to do with these extra 24ish hours this year? Tell us here for a chance to be featured in an upcoming newsletter.

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Laura Figi

Laura Figi has called Austin home for more than 12 years and has been known to say it’s her “favorite city in the world.” A proud graduate of Texas State University, she’s been working in local news since 2020. When she’s not working and learning about the community, you can find her at the local thrift shop, spending time with her two cats, or listening to live music.