INTERNATIONAL EARTH ROTATION AND REFERENCE SYSTEMS SERVICE (IERS)
EARTH ORIENTATION CENTER
SERVICE INTERNATIONAL DE LA ROTATION TERRESTRE ET DES SYSTEMES DE REFERENCE
OBSERVATOIRE DE PARIS
61 Av. de l'Observatoire
75014 PARIS (France)
Tél. : 33 (0) 1 40 51 22 26
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Internet : services.iers(at)obspm.fr
ANSWERS OF THE QUESTIONNARY CONCERNING A POSSIBLE REDEFINITION OF UTC
TOTAL OF ANSWERS : 466
347 participants answered : I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC which includes leap
second
86 participants answered : I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
27 participants answered : I have another preference
6 participants answered : I have no opinion or preference
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Woltz
Prenom = Lawrence
Institut = NASA
Pays = USA
Domaine = Satellite precipitation measurement
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = van Schellen
Prenom = Remco
Institut = Omroep Zeeland
Pays = the Netherlands
Domaine = Media
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Savoie
Prenom = Denis
Institut = SYRTE-Observatory of Paris
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The redefinition of UTC will cause serious difficulties for fans of sundials.
The converion of solar time in standard time will be even more complicated to
explain to the public and students ! The calculation of analemma (directly
indicating Universal Time by integrating the equation of time and the longitude)
with will become problematic. Sundials are nothing in front of the lobby GPS;
but their role in teaching astronomy is very important
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Marmet
Prenom = Louis
Institut = NRC Canada
Pays = Canada
Domaine = Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The time scale TAI is already implemented for applications where a leap second
would be a problem. I consider that a change of the definition of UTC will
reduce the credibility of our institution (time standards community) in the eye
of the public. Seriously affected will be the users who use the position of the
sun. A redefinition of UTC will change the calendar date of these events and
have serious social impacts once it becomes known to the public. There is not
enough room here to bring more arguments...
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Olsson
Prenom = Sten
Institut = Lockheed Martin Corporation
Pays = USA
Domaine = Air Traffic Control
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Tang
Prenom = Jingshi
Institut = Astronomy department, Nanjing University
Pays = China
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Cooper Jr.
Prenom = Peter
Institut = None
Pays = United States
Domaine = Hobbiest that finds time interesting
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = GONZALEZ
Prenom = Hervé
Institut = Airbus Operations SAS
Pays = France
Domaine = Aeronautics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Williams
Prenom = David
Institut = Fidelity Bank
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication Information Technology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Civil time reckoning has always been tied with the Earth’s rotation. Leap
seconds are small enough that few people are inconvenienced and frequent enough
that there are tested procedures on how to deal with them. Leap minutes or leap
hours would be very disruptive. To drop the relationship with Earth’s rotation
is to not deal with the issue and to kick the can down the road for someone else
to deal with at a later time.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Enfinger
Prenom = Eugene Bryan
Institut = Enfinger & Assoc., LLC
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
LEAVE THE CURRENT SYSTEM AS IS!!!!!!
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Finch
Prenom = Tony
Institut = Univ. of Cambridge Computing Service
Pays = England
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
If we are to continue leap seconds, they will be much more easy to handle if
they are announced several years in advance, such that leap second tables can be
distributed as part of a computer system's software.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Smith
Prenom = Eric
Institut = Total Spectrum Software
Pays = Canada
Domaine = Computer software
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
I am generally satisfied with the current definition of UTC which includes leap
seconds. However, I think it would be useful for leap seconds to be scheduled
further in advance (for example several years, rather than 6 months). This would
allow makers of computer systems to more readily schedule and prepare for leap
seconds. This advantage would, I think, outweigh the difficulties in keeping
DUT1 within 1 second over such a long period -- particularly if the alternative
is to allow DUT1 to grow without bound!
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Hall
Prenom = Shannon
Institut = JHU/APL
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Seaman
Prenom = Rob
Institut = National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I would support lengthening the forecast interval immediately to whatever value
permits remaining within the 0.9s DUT1 limit - note that no change would be
required to TF-460 to do this. The state of the art of EOP forecasts has
improved dramatically since 1972 and we should benefit from that. I might
additionally consider supporting the relaxation of the 0.9s limit to later
permit lengthening the forecast interval further. Care should be taken with
planning for any change to UTC. Due diligence has not been met by the current
ITU-R process.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Vince
Prenom = Peter
Institut = BBC Television
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Broadcast radio and television
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
UTC currently gives an accurate indication of the Earth's orientation -
something most people have no interest in, particularly to the degree of
accuracy achieved. Most people assume noon (12:00) to be when the sun is at its
highest, but with the analemma effect, and especially daylight savings time,
that is certainly not true.
Modern broadcasting and communication equipment needs an accurately synchronised
reference, so variable frequencies tracking the Earth's rotation is not an
option. With 24-hour broadcasting of mainly pre-recorded programmes, it is
essential for professional continuity that the duration of the programme is
known, and changing the clock time during the transmission of a programme
negates this accuracy.
Leap-seconds were a good idea in 1972 when people just had a few inaccurate
analogue clocks, but now so much equipment has a clock, it is a nightmare to
correct it all. There is also a cost penalty to do this, for the time and effort
of the staff involved, and the confusion, if not danger, of them not being
corrected and synchronised.
I believe daylight-saving time should also be abolished, but that is another
argument. At least let us take this opportunity to simplify time-keeping for the
majority. There will be a cost penalty for the astronomers, but that is nothing
to the cost currently incurred by everyone else. They already have to compensate
for sidereal time and polar wobble - a slightly larger DUT-1 should be a very
minor change.
But please ensure DUT-1 *IS* available to everyone, including modifying the LF
radio time-signal data formats.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Müller
Prenom = Ulrich
Institut = Institut für Kernphysik, Univ. Mainz
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Theodosiou
Prenom = Georgios
Institut = None
Pays = France
Domaine = jobless
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Redefinition, or better, new name, for example: Universal Civil Time (UCT) with
its own unit, UCT second, defined as 1/86400 of mean solar day, under condition
|UT1-UCT| < 1 sec.
Due to earth slowing and variation in LOD some slight increase (10-20 nanosec)
every 19 years (metonian cycle, largest periodic element in LOD) will be needful
in UCTsec. It's possible this increase be allocated each year or even each day.
Atomic time and its second will remain time scale for scientific and technical
purposes, GPS etc, and UT1 and its second for astronomical purposes.
With regards
Georgios Theodosiou
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Sokolov
Prenom = Michael
Institut = Citizen of the Universe
Pays = Republic of New Poseidia
Domaine = moral and political philosophy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
For thousands of years the effective definition of a day has been the mean solar
day. Hours, minutes and seconds are merely subdivisions of the millennia-old
concept of the day. In other words, for thousands and thousands of years the
definition of "day" and the time of day has been given by Mother Nature, i.e.,
by the Sun in the sky. What the outrageous ITU proposal is effectively asking us
to do is to give up our trust in Mother Nature in the matters of time of day and
to vest our trust instead in the racks of strange equipment operated by a bunch
of guys in lab coats.
Universal Time means mean solar time. Anyone who attempts to redefine UTC as
something that isn't Universal Time should be arrested and prosecuted for
treason against nature / crimes against humanity.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = DENIEL
Prenom = Laurent
Institut = THALES
Pays = France
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Griesbach
Prenom = Jacob
Institut = Analytical Graphics, Inc.
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I believe it's important that UTC retain its celestial meaning. The rather
infrequent use of leap seconds is only a light burden to maintain this
synchronicity.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Hujsak
Prenom = Richard
Institut = Analytic Graphics, Inc
Pays = United States
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics orbit determination and prediction
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
There are too many software systems with the current definitions embedded. The
costs of changing that many systems for a frivolous change in definition is too
great to be worth while. The danger is some systems would convert to the new
definition, while others would not. And that mismatch can have expensive
consequences. In the words of a famous procrastinator "If it ain't broke, don't
fix it."
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Capitaine
Prenom = Nicole
Institut = Bureau des longitudes &Paris Observatory
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
See my comments attached as a PDF file to a separate message as the limit is in
fact much less than 1600 char.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Viceré
Prenom = Andrea
Institut = Università di Urbino
Pays = ITALY
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Gravitational Waves
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
In my field, we rely on GPS counts as a uniformly increasing timescale. UTC
would replace it very well and serve as a reference solution.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Gupta
Prenom = Sanjeev
Institut = DCS1
Pays = Singapore
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I prefer that UTC closely follow a smoothed UT1.
I would accept an increase in the allowed value of DUT1, if it would help in
long-range predictions of leap seconds.
--
Sanjeev
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Candey
Prenom = Robert
Institut = NASA
Pays = USA
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = West
Prenom = Michael
Institut = Geophys. Inst., Univ. Alaska Fairbanks
Pays = United States
Domaine = Geophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Meagher
Prenom = Kevin
Institut = University of Maryland
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I think that is important for astronomy to keep UT and UTC as close together as
possible, As far as I knwo, all of the problems associated with leap seconds are
due do substandard software. These problems could be mitigated by standard
software libraries to handle leap seconds.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Dewar
Prenom = Duncan
Institut = none
Pays = Scotland
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Clark
Prenom = Richard
Institut = National Solar Observatory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
There is already TAI and the GPS timescale. Why do we need STILL ANOTHER
conatant uniform timescale?
Keep UTC as it is.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Finkleman
Prenom = David
Institut = CSSI and ISO TC20/SC14
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I appreciate that we are referenced, but this matter is scientific and concrete,
not abstract or a matter of opinion. I ask why opinion is important and
whether the results of this survey will be cited to support or claim any
collective consensus. Also, you might cite our American Scientist Magazine
article instead of the AIAA paper. The former is more widely accessible at no
cost and captures the issues more concisely.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Kenworthy
Prenom = Matthew
Institut = Leiden Observatory
Pays = The Netherlands
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Wyatt
Prenom = Wiliam
Institut = Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The worst case would be for UTC to be redefined as proposed, i.e.
without
a name change to distinguish it from earlier UTC.
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Hochschild
Prenom = Peter
Institut = Google
Pays = United States
Domaine = Large Scale Distributed Computing
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Laney
Prenom = C. David
Institut = Brigham Young University
Pays = United States
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Buinoud
Prenom = Maxime
Institut = French Navy
Pays = France
Domaine = Studies
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2011
Nom = Scott
Prenom = Mike
Institut = Vercet LLC
Pays = USA
Domaine = Design of Geophysical Recording Systems
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
Je voudrais un système qui apporte des corrections au plus une fois tous les 10
ans, et donne un préavis minimum de 1 an de tout changement, merci de me donner
l'opportunité d'avoir mon mot à dire, la nature ce qui concerne Mike
I would like a system that makes corrections no more than once every 10 years,
and gives a minimum of 1 year’s notice of any changes, thank you for giving me
the opportunity of having my say, kind regards Mike
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = Townsend
Prenom = Gregg
Institut = University of Arizona (retired)
Pays = United States
Domaine = Telecommunication Computer Science
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = Osvaldo
Prenom = Osvaldo Fernández
Institut = Ex profesor of The Patagonia University
Pays = Argentina
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I enjoy making astronomical measures of latitude and longitude by theodolite and
chronograph. I need DUT1.
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = Pfyffer
Prenom = Gregor
Institut = Royal Observatory of Belgium
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = Geodesy Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = Hansen
Prenom = Ask
Institut = The NTP Pool project
Pays = USA
Domaine = Time synchronization; computer systems
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
I operate a system providing time services for tens of millions of computers via
about 2000 volunteered ntp servers.
Analyzing the performance of the time servers during the 2008/2009 leap second
showed a worrying percentage of (otherwise well configured and well maintained)
systems being a second out of sync with everyone else for hours and in some
cases even days!
For computer system operations at both small and late scale the leap second
comes at a great cost. For less time critical systems it "just" means that any
logs or any other timed informatio around the leap second are unusable or at
best suspect.
For time critical systems to cost is shutting down the system around the leap
second or if that isn't possible then great and difficult engineering around
it.
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = Barnes
Prenom = Howard
Institut = Georgi Dobrovolski Solar Observatory
Pays = New Zealand
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Perhaps, a "leap minute" once a century might do. That would be better than this
silly idea of a "leap hour".
I would like it known that the current system is DEFINITELY preferred.
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = Wilkinson
Prenom = James
Institut = Google
Pays = Australia
Domaine = Internet
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = Withers
Prenom = Laurence
Institut = Güralp Systems Ltd
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Geophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
For seismology, which my company generally focuses on, and other areas of
geophysics, we must use a global time reference so that data from geographically
distant measurement stations can be correlated. Furthermore, this time reference
must be constant (i.e. the definition of one second must not vary), as otherwise
any frequency-based calculations would be inaccurate.
Unfortunately, seismologists universally use UTC and not TAI for this time
source. As a software engineer dealing with acquisition, transmission and
processing systems I know from my own experience and from observing other
software in the field that leap seconds are an area of huge complexity, often
doubling the amount of code required for any timestamp-related task.
Furthermore, each leap second occurrence leads to a raft of system failures
across all manufacturers.
Changing the definition of UTC to be TAI with a constant offset would greatly
simplify the task of writing and maintaining software and remove an area of
significant concern.
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = Trueblood
Prenom = Mark
Institut = National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Pays = United States of America
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Can you imagine the havoc created by this proposal to make UTC an atomic time?
The civil time of
day MUST be tied to the Earth's rotation. This rotation is gradually slowing due
to tidal friction with
the Moon. Therefore, we need to continue to introduce leap seconds into the time
to keep our
clocks in synch with where the Sun is in the sky. Over a period of centuries,
the proposed change to
an atomic time would make us rise at odd hours of the day, and make it
impossible to point
telescopes accurately. This proposal is sheer nonsense.
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = McCartney
Prenom = Craig
Institut = On-Site Training International
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=09_July_2011
Nom = Kulda
Prenom = Tomas
Institut = Charity
Pays = Czech Republic
Domaine = computer programmer
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=10_July_2011
Nom = Deines
Prenom = Steve
Institut = Donatech Corporation, Inc.
Pays = USA
Domaine = Navigation
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Until the timekeeping community understands Universal Time, it is best to keep
the status quo with UTC. Tidal friction is a torque that causes a quadratic
deceleration of Earth's orientation. The simplest model of tidal friction is a
constant deceleration that will cause the angular velocity (Earth's inertial
spin) to decrease linearly and its angular displacement to lag in a quadratic
curve. The current definition of UT1 comes from the formula from Capitaine et
al, and that formula converts Earth orientation angle into UT1. Since the
formula was first published in 1986, the epoch associated with the data is circa
1980, maybe 1981. The last two leap seconds roughly fit a quadratic curve after
that epoch, which remarkably fits the tidal friction curve. Christodoulidis et
al (1988) obtained -5.98±.22E-22 rad/sec2 from analyzing 17 artificial
satellites. From the fossil record, I obtained a value of -5.99±1.77E-22
rad/sec2 was obtained from 17 studies involving 44 fossils.
It is a straightforward statistical test to show that the last two leap seconds
do not come from the same population of leap seconds between 1972 and 1998. The
Dec 2005 leap second was 11.96 st. dev. off and the Dec 2008 leap second was
3.96 s.d. off. Both fail the 99.9% acceptance test.
Knowing that result, the divergence between TAI and UT1 between 1958 and 1998 is
nearly linear. If you review the processing of that time, (See Markowitz 1968
in Telescopes) the operational epoch was advanced every day when PZT data were
taken and processed. Moving the epoch would hide tidal friction under the noise
in the measurements. Now, VLBI gets Earth orientation data very precisely. The
operational epoch is now frozen (embedded in Capitaine et al formula), and tidal
friction is now revealed in divergence between UT1 and TAI. There is no uniform
divergence anymore. In a few decades, tidal friction will invalidate the
Capitaine et al formula that obtains UT1, because tidal friction was never
incorporated into the derivation.
I firmly believe that the timekeeping community should postpone the vote until
it thoroughly reviews the effects of tidal friction, which is not incorporated
into the current prediction models for the divergence between UT and TAI, and
definitely not in the Capitaine et al formula that defines UT1.
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Date=10_July_2011
Nom = Bertou
Prenom = Xavier
Institut = Centro Atómico Bariloche
Pays = Argentina
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=10_July_2011
Nom = Goodwin
Prenom = Julien
Institut = -
Pays = Australia
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=10_July_2011
Nom = Lynch-Aird
Prenom = Nicolas
Institut = Independent
Pays = UK
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Leap seconds should be retained as the ongoing mechanism for maintaining UTC
close to UT1. Allowing UTC to drift away from UT1 will necessitate larger
corrections to be made at some unspecified point in the future which will be far
more disruptive than the current system of introducing leap seconds.
It would be of greater benefit to extend the time code transmission standards in
such a way as to enable automated systems to be able to detect an upcoming leap
second in advance of the event. Assuming that the transmission of DUT1 is
retained then this only requires one extra bit of information - the sign of the
leap second can be determined from the sign of the preceeding value of DUT1. It
would be beneficial also to include additional flags in the transmitted data to
indicate an upcoming change in the transmitted value of DUT1.
Finally the time code standard should be made freely and publicly available. In
this way equipment manufacturers will be more readily able to develop systems
that can respond in a wholly automated manner to changes in DUT1 and the
introduction of leap seconds.
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Date=10_July_2011
Nom = Scott-Thoennes
Prenom = Yitzchak
Institut = Shiftboard
Pays = US
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=10_July_2011
Nom = Kapounek
Prenom = Petr
Institut = comerce sphere
Pays = Czech Republic
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=10_July_2011
Nom = Verhaege
Prenom = Christophe
Institut = Laboratoire de Météorolige Physique
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Lim
Prenom = Peter
Institut = Nil
Pays = Singapore
Domaine = NIL
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
NIL.
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Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Siddiqui
Prenom = Hassan
Institut = ESA/ESAC
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
Having a time scale that is discontinuous causes a lot of problems with writing
and maintaining software for processing non-ground-based astronomical missions,
and in particular the link to the spacecraft and the ground segment. It would
help immensely if UTC is redefined such that it represents terrestrial time in
as simple a way as possible.
Of course, a counter-argument for my request is to simply use TAI right now
instead of UTC - if in the future the difference would be a constant. This is in
fact my preference. However, a lot of ground based activities are heavily
intertwined to UTC, it is best to work on making that system
simpler.
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Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Herrero
Prenom = Javier
Institut = HV Sistemas S.L.
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Meyer
Prenom = François
Institut = Observatoire de Besançon
Pays = France
Domaine = Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
It seems that addressing the main engineering concerns
generated by leap seconds, could be greatly simplified
by enhancing the accessibility and timespan of the leap
second table :
such a table, would list not only past leap seconds but
also scheduled leap seconds for the next 10 years (instead
of the 6 month notice that is in use today), and should be
made widely available.
Involving only minimal changes, this would be a good, conservative
compromise, both preserving the UT feature of UTC (which should not be
thrown away lightly in my opinion) and smoothing its
engineering drawbacks, at least for the next centuries
as long as the average frequency of leap seconds remains
below one per month.
--
F. Meyer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Ochsenbein
Prenom = Francois
Institut = CDS, Obs. Strasbourg
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
Some adjustment would however be necessary in the future to avoid a too large
difference (>15min? >1hr?) with Earth rotation but there will be plenty of time
to converge on a concensus :-)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = vallado
Prenom = david
Institut = center for space standards and innovatio
Pays = usa
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
There are a great number of systems that include processing for leap seconds.
Adding the leap seconds mainatians uniformity between the actual earth rotation
and time systems. I see no need to change that.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Bernstein
Prenom = Gary
Institut = University of Pennsylvania
Pays = US
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Francis
Prenom = Gribbin
Institut = Isaac Newton Group
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
At the Isaac Newton Group we use UTC (from atomic clock) as input to
the
the Telescope Control System. We receive notifications of leap seconds via
the IERS bulletin. Our systems can be programmed such that the leap second
is introduced automatically: this involves setting hardware switches on the
clocks to specify when the leap second is to be introduced and updating
control
system parameter to say when it is to be expected.
Since the clock is autonomous we have also omitted programming the leap
second
(e.g. on 31-Dec-2011) and introduced manually it later (when it's not a
holiday).
So we can cope fine with leap seconds. Omitting leap seconds will create some
more work (although with our independent clocks we could avoid this).
Overall I think the argument is about whether UTC should be related to the
sun.
Since all of us still live on the planet (earth) it make sense to continue
the
current regime.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Swaters
Prenom = Robert
Institut = NOAO
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Murray
Prenom = Stephen
Institut = Johns Hopkins University
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I do not think a change in the current definition of UTC is good for astronomy
and celestial navigation activities. There is a great deal invested in the
current definition and the software that uses it and any change would likely
lead to errors for many years as the transition would need to propagate across
many systems and users..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Main
Prenom = Andrew
Institut = no affiliation
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = software engineering
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
I have no strong opinion on whether the main broadcast time scale, or the basis
of civil time, should continue to track UT1. However, I have opinions about
other aspects of the process.
Any time scale that does not closely track UT1 would not be a form of UT, and
should not have a UT-related name. Specifically, the time scale resulting from
initially synchronising with present UTC and then not applying leap seconds
would not be a form of UT, and so should not be called "UTC". The name
"International Time" with initialism "TI" has been proposed for such a time
scale, and I would find that entirely satisfactory. It should, of course, be
clearly defined whether proleptic TI matches UTC over UTC's prior period of
operation or remains a constant offset from TAI; I think the latter is more
manageable.
Although many users would prefer a leap-second-less time scale, and many more
can at least accept one, it is not feasible to force such a time scale on all
present users of UTC. Some would continue to desire a time scale behaving like
the present form of UTC, with leap seconds. If such a scale is not readily
available then it will be necessary to invent one, but local reinvention
repeated by many users would cause a proliferation of badly-managed
not-quite-compatible time scales. Thus it would remain useful for IERS to issue
canonical leap second decisions for such users, defining a standard time scale
that would continue to behave as the current UTC does. This time scale should
probably be named "UTC".
The decision about the time scale that is used in broadcast dissemination of
time should be divorced from other questions about UTC. The broadcast time
scale may sensibly be UTC as presently defined, TAI plus an offset (TI as
described above), or plain TAI. Whichever is chosen as the primary broadcast
time scale, broadcasts should where possible carry the parameters needed to
convert between UTC-with-leap-seconds and TI/TAI. Where those parameters are
readily available, the exact choice of primary time scale becomes much less
significant.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Flanders
Prenom = Tony
Institut = Sky & Telescope
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Presumably, civil time would continue to be tied to UTC. This would cause
sunrise and sunset times to become unpredictable, which seems like a very bad
thing in the long run. Julius Caesar tried adopting a simple, uniform time scale
in his eponymous calendar; it turned out to be a short-sighted
solution.
Until the day when we all live in underground enclosures, as foreseen by many
science-fiction writers, let's not allow the convenience of a few technologists
to take precedence over the Sun!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Paget
Prenom = James
Institut = The Aerospace Corporation
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Please be sure to make UT1 or UT1C available (such as by radio signals) if you
decide to allow UTC to drift more than 1 second from UT1.
Please consider renaming UTC if leap seconds are no longer included.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Martin-Mur
Prenom = Tomas
Institut = JPL
Pays = USA
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Greve
Prenom = Tora
Institut = Tycho Brahe Observatory
Pays = Sweden
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Lee
Prenom = Steven
Institut = AAO
Pays = Australia
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_July_2011
Nom = Dicker
Prenom = Simon
Institut = Upenn
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
5 years may be too soon to switch.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Laidler
Prenom = Victoria
Institut = Space Telescope Science Institute
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I am primarily a developer and maintainer of astronomical software.
Although it is somewhat annoying to have to update some software to account for
the latest leap second, it would be far more annoying to have to use "a separate
access to UT1, such as through the publication of DUT1 by other means" and
implement support for both kinds of time.
From my perspective, the current system works. It is not broken. Let's not fix
it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Fulco
Prenom = Charles
Institut = Port Chester Middle School
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Kamp
Prenom = Poul-Henning
Institut = The FreeBSD Project
Pays = Denmark
Domaine = Telecommunication Operating System Design & Implementation
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
The main operational problem with leap seconds is the very short
warning.
6-10 months is not nearly enough for operating systems to propagate this
information to all installed copies.
If leap seconds were announced 10-20 years in advance, tables could be
distributed with operating systems and their updates, and computer systems
consequently could be trusted to always have up to date tables when leap seconds
strikes.
If this is not a possible compromise, leap seconds should be abolished.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Tricarico
Prenom = Pasquale
Institut = Planetary Science Institute
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I think that UTC should stay as it is. If you want to create another timescale,
like UTC but without leap seconds, go ahead, just call it something else than
UTC. How difficult is that?
That said, scientific arguments should prevail over surveys and votes. If there
is a strong scientific argument for changing UTC, so be it. But it seems to me
that this is not the case, and as you state, a UTC without leap second would be
of lesser value than the current UTC definition, so really I don't see the point
of it.
Regards.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = CHENAL
Prenom = JONATHAN
Institut = INSTITUT GEOGRAPHIQUE NATIONAL
Pays = FRANCE
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Continuous timescales still exists, as TAI. In my opinion, it is important to
have a basis for legal times (UTC) which follows solar times (UT1). If UTC is a
source of problems because of its discontinuities, UTC should simply disappear
et be replaced by TAI. UTC is useful precisely because of its discontinuities. A
temporary solution could be to create a new timescale, continuous, in parallel
to UTC, which would stay the basis of legal timescales. This new continuous
timescale would be used for tests only, and could have a permanent entire offset
with TAI, which could be the actual value of TAI-UTC. But my preference is to
keep the actual definition of UTC, which includes leap second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Tang
Prenom = Jingshi
Institut = Astronomy department, Nanjing University
Pays = China
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Schittel
Prenom = Christoph
Institut = Plusnet GmbH & Co. KG
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Schrama
Prenom = Ernst
Institut = TU Delft
Pays = The Netherlands
Domaine = Geodesy Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Please do not change standards, we agreed once upon a time on a definition,
textbooks spend text on this problem, etc, so why change that.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Thivillon
Prenom = Alain
Institut = N/A
Pays = France
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Maisonobe
Prenom = Luc
Institut = CS Communication & systèmes
Pays = France
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Leap seconds are already well understood and well implemented in many space
systems.
Systems that handle several time scales (say TAI and UTC) either already support
leap seconds introduction in real time or have a constant TAI-UTC offset in a
configuration file and need a restart a few days after the leap. Systems that
handle only one time scale simply don't see anything and run seemlessly when
leap seconds occur. So for ALL these systems, regardless of their
implementation, leap seconds are clearly not a problem.
However, ALL these systems are based on assumption DUT1 remains small (less than
0.9s in the current setup). A few high precision systems track this value from
IERS files, almost all systems do not track it and consider it to be 0. Removing
the leap second would mean ALL systems should track DUT1 as the simplifying
assumption would not hold anymore. This would imply modifying data handling,
importing external data in operational systems that did not import anything
beforehand, modifying ALL software layers to propagate this DUT1 down to the
lower layers for frames transforms, revalidating EVERY space flight dynamics in
the world. So for all systems except the very few high precision and costly ones
that have already done this work, removing the leap second would in fact induce
a lot of difficult work.
There are plenty of fixed time scales already available (TAI, GPS, Galileo ...)
and only one time scale that is a convenient compromise between purely geometric
TU1 and regular physics TAI, lets keep it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = DEFRAIGNE
Prenom = PASCALE
Institut = ROYAL OBSERVATORY OF BELGIUM
Pays = BELGIUM
Domaine = Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Street
Prenom = Jim
Institut = N/A
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = poggi
Prenom = jerome
Institut = -
Pays = France
Domaine = Governement
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Saers
Prenom = Paul
Institut = private
Pays = Sweden
Domaine = Computing industry
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Aerts
Prenom = Wim
Institut = ROB
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = Telecommunication Time-laboratory
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Why not introducing leap minutes instead of leap seconds?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Helk
Prenom = Frank
Institut = -
Pays = Germany
Domaine = process computing
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
If there's a need for another time refrence - like the proposed "UTC without
leap seconds" or otherwise - it should be defined as a new entity and be
distributed separately.
Redefinig a widely used standard would only lead to problems ... if anybody
needs the new reference, he should use it on a "new service" base.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Widdas
Prenom = Brian
Institut = n/a
Pays = UK
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011
Nom = Brouw
Prenom = WN
Institut = Groningen University
Pays = Netherlands
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 11h34
Nom = West
Prenom = Richard
Institut = University of Leicester
Pays = UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 11h34
Nom = Clarke
Prenom = Peter
Institut = Newcastle University
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Geodesy Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 11h51
Nom = Mueller
Prenom = Juergen
Institut = Institute of Geodesy, Univ. of Hannover
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 12h41
Nom = Nothnagel
Prenom = Axel
Institut = IGG, University of Bonn
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 13h01
Nom = Pardo
Prenom = Jeff
Institut = SES
Pays = US
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 13h57
Nom = Ewell
Prenom = Douglas
Institut = Individual
Pays = USA
Domaine = Software development
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h15
Nom = Wallace
Prenom = Patrick
Institut = RAL Space
Pays = UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics observatory automation
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Leap seconds are a nuisance, and surprisingly difficult to deal with reliably in
software. However, there are unknown numbers of applications in existence
which, explicitly or implicitly, rely on the distributed time to be close to
UT1. So the choice is between continuing to distribute an approximation to UT1
or accepting that problems will occur.
With the ubiquitous use of NTP, I believe there is now an opportunity to
separate civil time from the high-precision time/frequency dissemination
services. This would be done by providing UT1-based NTP servers, for
dissemination of ordinary time-of-day and expressly intended for applications
not requiring accuracies of better than 0.1s. We could call it GMT, which many
countries still refer to in their laws. (The fact the the US law was changed
not long ago to say UTC is regrettable but should not be allowed to influence
the debate.)
The existing time/frequency dissemination services would by default distribute
leapless UTC. As the difference between this and UT1 grows, developers of
computer applications would become used to the idea that they had to make a
choice - which they do now, in principle.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h16
Nom = Jubier
Prenom = Xavier
Institut = None
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I have nothing against a change. However, I would point out that each definition
has its merit. So why change if it doesn't really bring anything or simplify
computations.
As for predictions of eclipses in future years (especially within the next 100
years) the proposal to cease inserting leap seconds (that is, keeping UTC fixed
with respect to TT) has significant merit – it will allow accurate UTC
predictions to be issued many years before the event. Nevertheless it doesn't
change anything since the difference between UT1 and UTC would henceforth be
unconstrained!
At the same time, the current prediction methodology contains two ‘unknowns’ for
future predictions. The conversion from TT to UTC, and the rotational position
of the Earth (UT1-UTC). Of these, the effect of the uncertainty in prediction
times resulting from the conversion from TT to UTC is an order of magnitude
greater than the effects of the rotation of the Earth over the same time period.
However if leap seconds are discontinued, the two uncertainties are reduced to
just one – the rotational orientation of the Earth. And of the two
uncertainties, this is the one that has the lesser impact on actual prediction
times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h16
Nom = Ray
Prenom = Jim
Institut = U.S. National Geodetic Survey
Pays = USA
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h18
Nom = Goerres
Prenom = Barbara
Institut = Instiutut for Geodesy, University Bonn
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h21
Nom = Willmott
Prenom = Paul
Institut = AMSAT-BDA
Pays = Bermuda
Domaine = Astrodynamics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
We have no wish to reprogram thousands of lines of complex astrodynamics code.
Given that we will have to maintain the original UTC definition for our
historical data, it will all be very confusing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h28
Nom = Schoene
Prenom = Tilo
Institut = GFZ Potsdam
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h29
Nom = Grant
Prenom = Mike
Institut = Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Pays = UK
Domaine = Remote Sensing (satellite and airborne)
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h45
Nom = Newhal
Prenom = X X (Skip)
Institut = Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Retired)
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Planetary
Ephemerides
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h53
Nom = Beyerle
Prenom = Georg
Institut = GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Geodesy GNSS Remote Sensing
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 14h57
Nom = Lennon
Prenom = Christopher
Institut = MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Radar Systems
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
GPS time exists as a free running clock alternative to UTC. One needs to
maintain the list of leap seconds to go back an forth, but that is only a minor
pain in the neck.
I have a mild preference that UTC maintain its connection with the rotation of
the earth.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 15h02
Nom = Kidger
Prenom = Mark
Institut = ESA
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The current system has worked for years, why change it? Keep the day linked to
the rotation of the Earth.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 15h05
Nom = Svalgaard
Prenom = Leif
Institut = Stanford University
Pays = USA
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 15h08
Nom = Fani
Prenom = Paolo
Institut = -
Pays = Italy
Domaine = Astronomy (amateur)
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 15h19
Nom = Visser
Prenom = Pieter
Institut = Delft University of Technology
Pays = Netherlands
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Geophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 15h42
Nom = Seidelmann
Prenom = P. Kenneth
Institut = University of Virginia
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I think the definition of UTC should be considered by much wider scientific and
administrative organizations than the ITU. The full impact of the change and its
implications need to be considered.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 15h44
Nom = HESTROFFER
Prenom = Daniel
Institut = IMCCE
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I have no opinion or preference
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 15h47
Nom = Mueller
Prenom = Ivan
Institut = The Ohio State University
Pays = USA
Domaine = Geodesy Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 16h11
Nom = Dr. Federspiel
Prenom = Martin
Institut = Planetarium Freiburg
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 16h20
Nom = Hase
Prenom = Hayo
Institut = Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Based on my personal experience: The existence of the leap second convinces
common people to understand the need of geodetic VLBI and justify its expensive
operation.
If the product "leap second" becomes officially superfluous, the current VLBI
programmes are put in danger.
The importance of VLBI is not only based in the "leap second". But it is the
easiest argument to communicate to politicians and administrators of financial
resources.
Both cited articles mention "VLBI" only once and do not focus on the global VLBI
infrastructure which is still contributing to the "leap second"
determinations.
The number of arguments for pro and contra shows the need for both timescales:
- the atomic time scale
- the earth rotation time scale.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 17h19
Nom = Martin
Prenom = Thomas
Institut = Van Martin Systems, Inc.
Pays = United States
Domaine = Geodesy Space-sciences Precision satellite orbit
determination
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
UTC serves a very useful purpose. For those for whom UTC leap seconds present a
problem, we already have TAI and GPS time which are uniformly increasing atomic
time scales. With the advent of GNSS, anyone anywhere in the world has access
to GPS time at very little cost. GLONASS, and I believe some SBAS systems,
provide UTC. Additional systems coming on-line, including QZSS and Galileo,
essentially also provide GPS time with extremely small offsets. Conversion
algorithms between UTC and TAI or GPS border on trivial and are readily
available. Those of us who perform precision calculations will continue to
require time transformations, even if the leap seconds are eliminated going
forward. If you want to hide leap seconds from public view, simply coordinate
public clocks to TAI or GPS time!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 17h28
Nom = Johnson
Prenom = Thomas
Institut = National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
While one may think that knowledge and understanding of our universe is a true
goal of science, in reality, it is not. The ultimate goal of science and its
pursuit of greater knowledge is for the improvement of society. While
predicting and keeping UTC aligned with the earth's rotation is not an easy
task, it has benefits to society and therefore, should be maintained. For
example, there are many users of UTC from around the world that have built their
systems on the assumption of UTC being coordinated with the earth rotation. The
decoupling of these systems would result in a great deal of work and financial
expense to correct, all of which is unnecessary.
Furthermore, this is one indirect benefit to having leap seconds. Every time a
leap second is inserted, the public media has to reach out to the scientific
community to educate its consumer on the physics behind the need for this
adjustment. Therefore, the general population gets a science lesson reminding
them of the importance of astronomy and geophysics in their daily lives.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 17h42
Nom = Stefan
Prenom = Krista
Institut = Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Pays = Canada
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 17h42
Nom = Capitaine
Prenom = Nicole
Institut = Bureau des longitudes& Paris Observatory
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
- Separating the two concepts (angle for UT1,time for UTC) would be an
improvement for high-accuracy applications.
- UT1 is defined by a conventional linear relation to ERA and benefits from the
accuracy of that angle; for its best scientific use, that angle varying with
time must be referred to an uniform time scale.
- The definition of UT1 is such that it is kept approximately (but not strictly)
in phase with the mean solar time; so it in fact differs from the mean solar
time +12 h and the difference is increasing with time.
- The definition of UTC based on leap seconds was designed to provide sufficient
approximation to UT1 to celestial navigation; this is obsolete. For scientific
applications, the use of the best uniform time scale is required (without leap
seconds).
- If leap seconds are removed, the gap between UTC and UT1 will reach 3 min in
2100, 30 min in 2700, differences that are below those between legal time and
solar time (+12h) that we tolerate.
- Scientific applications requiring prediction of UT1-UTC, such as precise
astronomical ephemerides, can be established based on an IERS UT1-UTC
prediction, leading to an accuracy at least as good as access to the UT1 derived
from UTC with leap seconds.
- The responsibility of the IERS will be increased with the new interesting
charge of providing predictions of the difference between UT1 and UTC, or
UT1(UTC), in order to provide access to UT1 in real time. These values can
easily be disseminated by positioning systems, such as GPS, which would give
access to UT1 in real time to a wide categories of users.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 17h48
Nom = Mabie
Prenom = Justin
Institut = NOAA
Pays = USA
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
No such change in the defintion of UTC should be considered. Instead, the
community should propose a new timescale that is referenced off of UTC. There
are several reasons for this.
1) It seems there is no proposed mechanism for the transition, between
conversion of data to the new timescale or to update algorithms, instruments,
and models that depend on the current definitoin of UTC.
2) Any change in the defintion of UTC would require a secondary timescale so
that conversions can be made from the old defintion to the new definition. Any
such timescale would in of itself serve the same purpose as the proposed change
and is therefore unnecesarry.
3) This propposal would create unnecesarry confusion that could be avoided with
an alternate such as the option of creating a new timescale.
4) Any errors or failure to adequately track conversions from the old to the
new defintions could seriously effect research, particularly with regard to
dynamics on timescales of one second or less. It should be noted that
international metadata standards, although robust, do not even adequately
address the needs of modern datasets, and are not used sufficiently to provide
the capabilities for which they are intended. Certainly, application of a
redefined timescale would add serious problems to meatadata tracking. In
addition to this, historical datasets that have not yet been fully modernized,
do not abide by any metadata standard and risk having their proper time stamps
corrupted during the modernization process.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 18h09
Nom = wilson
Prenom = keith
Institut = Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I am also concerned about the change in delivery of the dEps, dPsi,EOP
parameters. These seem to lag their dX and dY counterparts by 1 month. Is there
a way to convert these dX and dY parameters to dEps and dPsi?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 18h14
Nom = Byun
Prenom = Sung
Institut = Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pays = US
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Geophysics
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
If there is no leap second (keeping up with Earth rotation) what is the point of
having UTC time scale? It doesn't have much meaning other than some offset from
TAI. But I do understand that inserting UTC will become more frequent in the
future and will become quite a nuisance. I am wondering there has been enough
discussion regarding introducing 'leap minute' instead of leap
second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 19h07
Nom = Theodosiou
Prenom = Georgios
Institut = None
Pays = France
Domaine = jobless
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Mr Director
Please accept my excuse for the error in my proposal. Really I can't estimate
amount of increase needed in second UCT. But I think yearly amount is small
enough to not make problem in computer networks. You are responsible to estimate
yearly amount of increase it is needed. Only problem is that BIPM must agree on
a unit increasing yearly not always same amount. You can pay a visit there, is
not so far, some 30 kms, to fix the problem.
With regards
Georgios Theodosiou
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 19h12
Nom = Horan
Prenom = Karen
Institut = NOAA
Pays = USA
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I have no opinion or preference
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 19h24
Nom = Haywood
Prenom = Gerald
Institut = Jubilee Office Supplies
Pays = England
Domaine = Business.
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
It isn't broken.
Please don't fix it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 19h31
Nom = Melnick
Prenom = Jorge
Institut = ESO
Pays = Chile
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Human time is a measure of the position of the Sun on the sky, which is
determined by the rotation of the Earth and the potion of the Earth on its orbit
around the Sun. Decoupling human time from the rotation of the Earth would take
humanity one step further on the path to virtual existence. This is probably
inevitable, but should be delayed as much as possible. Our organisms are still
ruled by night/day cycles.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 20h22
Nom = FRANCOU
Prenom = GERARD
Institut = OBSERVATOIRE DE PARIS - SYRTE
Pays = FRANCE
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
No comment
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 20h23
Nom = Bolotin
Prenom = Sergei
Institut = NVI, Inc./NASA GSFC
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I believe that redefining of UTC time scale is unwise move. If one-second leap
time adjustment is too complicated for civilian time keeping they can invent an
appropriate time scale or use one of already existing continuous time scales,
e.g. TAI.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 20h36
Nom = Podesta
Prenom = Ricardo
Institut = Observatorio Felix Aguilar (OAFA)
Pays = San Juan, Argentina
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 21h05
Nom = Boyson
Prenom = Andrew
Institut = Home
Pays = UK
Domaine = Time enthusiast
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Would like to see NTP provide TAI. Internal PC clocks and file timestamps in
TAI.
PCs could easily adjust the displayed time from infrequently downloaded
leapseconds and daylight savings information.
Telescopes could map TAI against predicted earth rotation to provide an accurate
position.
in a few thousand years we would need to redefine the earths angular second as
some fraction of the TAI second in order to not exceed more than about 10 leap
seconds per year.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_July_2011 , 21h16
Nom = Abarca del Rio
Prenom = Rodrigo
Institut = DGEO
Pays = Chile
Domaine = Geodesy Geophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 00h32
Nom = young
Prenom = larry
Institut = jet propulsion lab
Pays = United States
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 02h15
Nom = Wildermann
Prenom = Eugen
Institut = Universidad del Zulia
Pays = Venezuela
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The current close connection with earth rotation seemed to me a great advantage
of UTC, so eliminating this purpose UTC afterwards mainly will be a simple TAI
offset. I don't see much sense of this at my current workspace (I'm interested
at UTC TAI difference mainly for tide calculations for precise gravity
observation would be influenced).
Sincerely, Yours
Eugen Wildermann
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 02h45
Nom = Carter
Prenom = Bill
Institut = University of Houston
Pays = USA
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 03h02
Nom = HU
Prenom = Songjie
Institut = Aerospace Flight Dynamics Lab
Pays = China
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 03h09
Nom = McGlaun
Prenom = Daniel
Institut = none
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I am an advanced amateur total eclipse chaser, involved also with calculating
local circumstances. I see no tangible benefit to modifying the current
definition of UTC; in fact, I see that for the purposes of maintaining the
ability to perform historical calculations, the community would have to maintain
two different sets of time measurement.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 04h43
Nom = Senne
Prenom = Joseph
Institut = Univ. of Missouri Science & Technology
Pays = USA
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 07h55
Nom = Roberto
Prenom = Roldan
Institut = European Satellite Services Provider
Pays = Spain
Domaine = GNSS
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 09h59
Nom = De Greef
Prenom = Didier
Institut = ESSP
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Navigation
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 10h03
Nom = Loyer
Prenom = Sylvain
Institut = CLS
Pays = FRANCE
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Unless with a large concensual opinion to change something,
it is better to keep the conventional usages as they are,
since "they are JUST conventions".
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 11h24
Nom = DENIS
Prenom = Carlo
Institut = IAGO Liège
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = Geodesy Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 11h30
Nom = Piriz
Prenom = Ricardo
Institut = GMV
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Our department is involved in software development for GNSS orbit determination,
timing, and positioning. In general we are quite satisfied with the current
definition of UTC, leap seconds do not pose a problem for us. In any case, for
detailed UT1 information we need to access specific IERS files, and this would
not change if the UTC definition changes, so there is no impact. So the only
benefit for us of a new UTC definition would be a constant offset between GPS
Time and UTC, this means that we would have one interface less, we would not
need to update GPSt-UTC when leap seconds happen (normally a text file in our
system). On the other hand, having UTC tied to UT1 (current definition) is very
nice for approximate calculations and simple software tools. For example, if you
are using Two Line Elements (TLEs) to calculate approximate satellite orbits, it
is quite useful to know that if you interpolate the model using UTC (current)
instead of UT1 the resulting accuracy will be within the noise of the TLEs.
There is also the issue of backward compatibility, if the UTC definition
changes, there might be some side effects in our software that could make it
fail, we would have to review the current code carefully. From a "philosophical"
point of view, I feel more comfortable knowing that UTC, the time on my watch,
is also linked to the Earth rotation and not only to atomic clocks, I believe
the current definition is a good compromise between the "two worlds" and that is
why it was invented.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 15h42
Nom = Woodburn
Prenom = James
Institut = AGI
Pays = USA
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The proposed redefinition of UTC would cause a gradual degradation of many
satellite systems which assume alignment between UT1 and civil time. While these
systems could be updated, at considerable cost, I am concerned that many
operators or users of these systems may not even be aware of the assumption and
therefore would not recognize the need for change. As the degradation would be
very gradual, system performance would slowly suffer but perhaps not come to a
breaking point until the redefinition of civil time was a distant
memory.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 16h18
Nom = Dries
Prenom = Jan
Institut = VITO
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = Earth Observation
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 16h35
Nom = Chandler
Prenom = John
Institut = Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 17h10
Nom = GUINOT
Prenom = BERNARD
Institut = Obs. de Paris, Bureau des longitudes
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy Space-sciences Time-laboratory
Former sailor (navigation officer)
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
Present definition of UTC causes an ambiguity of date at the occurrence of a
positive leap second which is potentially dangerous.
It favors the existence of several time scales differing by an integer number of
seconds.
The present system was devised in 1972 in order to provide directly by radio
time signals the needed accuracy of UT1 for celestial navigation (+/- 1
second).
This need (which may persist for safety reasons) can be fufilled by expressing
hour angles in printed nautical ephemeredes as a function of a continuous UTC
(based on a prediction which can be made at the second level over 3
years).
For a better precision, UT1 is easily available by internet in real time at the
level of a few milliseconds.
I recall that a continuous UTC will diverge from UT1 by one or two minutes in
2100 and will reach half an hour toward 2500-2600. Presently the offset of legal
time with respect to solar time may exceed two hours in some
countries...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 17h59
Nom = McCann
Prenom = Stephen
Institut = Private
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The rotation of the Earth is not constant. A system that allows dynamic updates
must be maintained. Although a change to the definition of UTC will not be
noticeable to the vast majority of people who use accurate time keeping, it is
not irrelevant. Initially inconvenient 'leap seconds' will be no longer
required, but after several decades errors will accrue and at some point in the
future a correction will be required. Who will care, as by then we'll all have
passed on anyway.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 19h06
Nom = Levine
Prenom = Judah
Institut = National Institute of Standards and Tech
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
It would also be possible to change the leap second to a leap hour when the dut1
correction was greater than about 2000 s. This method would limit the divergence
of UT1 from UTC while minimizing the disruptions that occur when a leap second
is realized.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 19h18
Nom = McCarthy
Prenom = Dennis
Institut = U. S. Naval Observatory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
This questionnaire is poorly written and appears to be one of a series of such
questionnaires. It makes the IERS look bad when it keeps sending out such
poorly written and repetitive questionnaires. The second reference listed above
is not in a peer-reviewed journal and should not even be listed as a reference.
This questionnaire serves no useful purpose for either side of this
issue.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 19h35
Nom = Oltrogge
Prenom = Daniel
Institut = 1Earth Research, LLC
Pays = USA
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I feel that the current system has worked sufficiently well and there is
intrinsic value in having UTC tied closely with Earth rotation. I understand
the desire to eliminate leap seconds and the discontinuities that they cause.
But I feel that we'd have to do extensive surveys, research and careful
evaluation before we could determine the extent (likely quite a large impact) of
software modifications, financial impacts and programmer/developer time required
to eliminate the leap second (thereby potentially causing existing applications
to 'break').
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 19h45
Nom = ACTIS
Prenom = Eloy
Institut = Observatorio mAstronómico Félix Aguilar
Pays = ARGENTINA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy Satellite Laser Ranging
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Current definition of UTC works very good and I don't feel neccessity of
changing it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 19h58
Nom = Kouprianov
Prenom = Vladimir
Institut = Pulkovo Observatory
Pays = Russia
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 21h23
Nom = Connors
Prenom = John
Institut = Private Individual
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics GPS commercial user, Astro & Celest
Nav
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
After thoroughly reading the provided references, the cost of changing the UTC
leap second system / time standard (ref #2, V The Debate, D Costs of Changing)
is not justified or technically warranted. The assumptions favoring the change
are weak and favor academia and the scientific community. The commercial realm
and public “users” are not well represented in these papers and government (tax
payers), including commercial end users, are expected or assumed to absorb the
cost (of redesign). Removing the leap second or making UTC “more” dynamically
linked to the earth’s rotation is an expensive step backwards. John Connors
1520EDT Wed 7-13-2011 lunarnightowls@juno.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_July_2011 , 23h36
Nom = Simpson
Prenom = David
Institut = NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Pays = United States of America
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Keep UTC defined as it currently is. The most compelling reason for eliminating
leap seconds seems to be that they will have to be introduced with increasing
frequency in the future; however, that should not become an important concern
for several centuries. Meanwhile, eliminating leap seconds now would leave us
with four time atomic scales that differ from TAI only by a fixed offset (TAI,
TT, GPS, and UTC), while providing no atomic-based time scale that maintains
synchronization with UT1 (an important consideration for civil timekeeping).
Dropping leap seconds from the definition of UTC now would be, at best,
premature.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_July_2011 , 01h09
Nom = Shawhan
Prenom = Peter
Institut = University of Maryland
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_July_2011 , 04h25
Nom = Bizouard
Prenom = Marie-Anne
Institut = Laboratoire de l'Accelerateur Lineaire
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_July_2011 , 07h54
Nom = Cannon
Prenom = Kipp
Institut = Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astr.
Pays = Canada
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The motivation for removing the leap seconds from UTC is a mystery.
If UTC is not the correct time scale for an application, then there are many
more to choose from. UTC is just one of a dozen or more time scales that are in
regular use: TAI, UT0, UT1, UT1R, UT2, UT2R, UTC, GMST, GPS time, Julian day
number, Unix time, .... In particular, several of them are atomic time scales
free of leap seconds. For example, TAI, the count of GPS seconds, Unix time,
and so on. Anyone who wishes to use a leap-second-free atomic time scale for
their application is already free to use one of these. The conversions between
these time scales and UTC are simple and well-documented.
-Kipp
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_July_2011 , 10h08
Nom = McIver
Prenom = Jessica
Institut = University of Massachusetts Amherst
Pays = United States
Domaine = Gravitational wave physics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_July_2011 , 11h52
Nom = Skinner
Prenom = Laurence
Institut = -
Pays = England
Domaine = Host an NTP Pool time server
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_July_2011 , 13h26
Nom = Loh
Prenom = Jürgen
Institut = Alpermann+Velte e.e. GmbH
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
We're a manufacturer of Timecode systems for radio and television broadcasting
stations. SMPTE/EBU Timecode is often used to synchronize the equipment to
civil time.
Jürgen Loh
http://www.alpermann-velte.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_July_2011 , 20h28
Nom = standish
Prenom = e myles
Institut = caltech/jpl - retired
Pays = usa
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
UTC now approximates the earth's rotation (within 0.9 seconds). There is a lot
of software throughout astronomy and navigation which subtly makes use of this
fact. To change it would cause many unforeseen problems.
e m standish
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_July_2011 , 20h40
Nom = Scott
Prenom = Stephen
Institut = Caltech/Owens Valley Radio Observatory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_July_2011 , 22h18
Nom = Poutanen
Prenom = Markku
Institut = Finnish Geodetic Institute
Pays = Finland
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
It is a much deeper principle than a technical or practical question about the
leap second. Quitting the leap second we accept that UTC is no more fixed to the
rotation of the Earth and our concept of time is not related to the variation of
day and night. But we cannot quit the fact that half of the Earth is illuminated
by the Sun, half is in darkness, and due to the rotation of the Earth we see the
regular variation of day and night. If we accept the concept that this has no
meaning in our life, we can quit the connection of the UTC to the rotation of
the Earth. We can as well quit then the time zones, length of 24h day or
incompatible length of the year with leap days every fourth year. All these are
as well technically possible. But if we want follow day and night variation,
then within decades we'll need a leap minute or within millennia a leap hour...
Are these any better than the leap seconds?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 01h15
Nom = Boriani
Prenom = Azelio
Institut = SSBT spa
Pays = Italy
Domaine = Digital TV broadcast equipment
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 07h41
Nom = Spencer
Prenom = Mark
Institut = Aligned Solutions
Pays = Caada
Domaine = Telecommunication Information technology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 09h33
Nom = Orlati
Prenom = Andrea
Institut = INAF-IRA
Pays = Italy
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 09h51
Nom = Young
Prenom = Iain
Institut = n/a
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Telecommunication Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
TAI and GPS timescales are already avaliable should folks need or want a
timescale without leap seconds. It seems to make little sense to me to add a
third.
Maybe we should consider having a different name for a UTC based timescale w/o
leap seconds =
But changing the current standard is most likely to just cause confusion,
espesially amongst the general public
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 09h58
Nom = Fenn
Prenom = David
Institut = Of Materials
Pays = UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Telecommunication Materials
engineering
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 10h15
Nom = Plant
Prenom = Hannah
Institut = Physics
Pays = England
Domaine = Physics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 11h10
Nom = Maccaferri
Prenom = Giuseppe
Institut = Institute of Radioastronomy
Pays = Italy
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy Space-sciences
Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 11h12
Nom = Verkindt
Prenom = Didier
Institut = LAPP, CNRS
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics gravitational waves detection
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
I prefer to put the operation of leap seconds addition when
getting the UT1 (or local time) and to have a universal UTC date which is earth
independent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 14h47
Nom = Combrinck
Prenom = Ludwig
Institut = HartRAO
Pays = South Africa
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Changes required to existing software, precompiled library binaries etc. (some
of which may not have original source code, so that they cannot be modified)
will create chaos. The result will be unworkable and un-fixable software. Who
will foot the bill for this? Who will do this work? It is easy enough to
maintain UTC., so I say do not fix that which is not broken.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 15h15
Nom = Hildebrand
Prenom = Andreas
Institut = ALC NetworX GmbH
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Professional Broadcast
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Speed up Earth rotation accordingly...
If this does not work out, leave UTC as it is - there are many reasons why it
has been defined the way it is. If it would be changed to TAI + offset, you
could use TAI at first instance.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=15_July_2011 , 17h04
Nom = Hohenkerk
Prenom = Catherine
Institut = HM Nautical Almanac Office (UKHO)
Pays = UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
It is useful to have |UTC-UT1|<0.9s. Navigation almancs, produced in advance,
may be inaccurate as the prediction of UT1-UTC at the time of production that is
needed to determine GHA may not be good enough. Textbooks etc will become
invalid. The fact that sunrise/sunset times repeat over a 4-year cycle will no
longer be necessarily true. Science & Technology aught to be able produce a
solution without haveing to drop leap seconds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=16_July_2011 , 03h06
Nom = Pogorelc
Prenom = Scott
Institut = USG contractor
Pays = USA
Domaine = Satellite Navigation / OD
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=16_July_2011 , 17h12
Nom = Fesler
Prenom = Jason
Institut = Yahoo, Inc
Pays = USA
Domaine = Internet related industry
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
UTC affects *every computer* on this planet. And every OS implements coping
with it differently. The last leap second event caused a global outage for me -
across 50,000+ machines, and affecting 100M+ customers - due to a bug in the way
leap second was handled. We now have to test every kernel version we operate
(300+ kernels across 300,000+ machines) to simulate leap second.
Even without a hard lock up, leap seconds across devices that don't handle leap
second correctly (not in the kernel, or ntpd not receiving the notice 24 hours
in advance) cause the machines to have to skew to make up for it. This means
that around the event, I can't correlate events between machines. Not until
everything is back within tolerance.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=17_July_2011 , 17h22
Nom = Schoedel
Prenom = John
Institut = Myself
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=17_July_2011 , 20h25
Nom = Noel
Prenom = Jean-Louis
Institut = Education
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_July_2011 , 05h39
Nom = GULYAEV
Prenom = SERGEI
Institut = Auckland University of Technology
Pays = New Zealand
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_July_2011 , 10h28
Nom = kutoðlu
Prenom = þenol hakan
Institut = zonguldak karaelmas university
Pays = turkey
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_July_2011 , 10h50
Nom = Yule
Prenom = Andy
Institut = u-blox
Pays = UK
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_July_2011 , 11h17
Nom = Planesas
Prenom = Pere
Institut = Observatorio Astronomico Nacional
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Leap minute
A leap minute could be introduced preferably at the end of June 30th
whenever the UT1-UTC difference is predicted to reach 60 s. The
announcement would have to be made several years ahead so by the time
it is applied the difference would be strictly larger than 55.0 seconds
(goal > 60 s) and smaller than 65.5 s. A new DUT1 would need to be
defined, and its resolution likely increased down to 1 ms to fulfill
high precision applications,
Main advantages:
- Keep UTC close to the mean solar time.
- Keep UTC's name and legal status.
- Fewer changes per century (TAI-UTC difference constant for decades),
- Able to cope with the UT1-TAI quadratic growth.
- DUT1 would become more widely used for those who really need it
(astronomers, navigators) resulting in higher precision calculations,
being a better representation of the astronomical time UT1.
Moreover:
- No need to allow for negative corrections.
- The first leap minute would take place in several decades, allowing
for all clocks, time-aware devices, software and time dissemination
standards to be able to cope with the extra ("60") minute.
- Might lead to the unification of the time systems by forcing them
to follow a unique (new) standard.
- A change in June 30th is less disruptive than on New Year's eve.
- The new DUT1 will give more visibility to those who determine it.
The new DUT1 could be disseminated in a 20-bit word:
- 1 sign bit
- 16 bits to cover time from 0 to 65535 ms.
- 1 measured/predicted bit
- 1 checksum bit
- 1 spare bit
A second 20-bit word could contain the DJM (as an integer), up to
the year 4595.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_July_2011 , 13h43
Nom = Possenti
Prenom = Andrea
Institut = INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico Cagliari
Pays = Italy
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_July_2011 , 16h15
Nom = Cooper
Prenom = Stanley
Institut = Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Lab.
Pays = U.S.A.
Domaine = Space mission timekeeping systems
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_July_2011 , 17h04
Nom = Colomer
Prenom = Francisco
Institut = National Astronomical Observatory
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Alternatively, the concept would remain for DUT1 but change only when added up
to a "leap minute".
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_July_2011 , 19h02
Nom = Talty
Prenom = Richard
Institut = Science Horizons, Inc.
Pays = USA
Domaine = Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
It seems to me that there are two classes of users of UTC, and neither should
have problems with leap seconds:
1) Users who do not need 1-second accuracy. Typical human scheduling (stores,
classes, trains, etc.) operates with more than 1 second of slop. A leap second
can be considered another type of unexpected time error and absorbed into that
budget.
2) Users who need synchronization to 1 second or better. Stock trading,
electricity grid, possibly traffic lights, etc.
Type 2 applications are, in practice, automatically synchronized to some UTC
source. From this source, they can both measure their own time error, and
obtain warning of upcoming leap seconds.
While it is theoretically possible to track UTC to within 1 second on 1-year
timescales using a rubidium oscillator, it is far cheaper and more common to use
a GPS receiver. Which provides ample warning of leap seconds.
Some UTC broadcasts provide little (DCF77) or no (MSF) leap-second warning, but
that seems like a simpler technical problem to solve. As internet connectivity
is more and more widely used, it gets easier to disseminate leap second
information.
The great benefit of leap seconds over less frequent larger corrections to
maintain 12h00 at roughly mid-day is that they can be ignored by a large number
of time users, and that they are (barely) frequent enough to allow software to
be tested.
People arguing for fewer, larger time scale jumps are just throwing the problem
over the wall to some future legislators who will have to redefine local time to
UTC offsets. Which will invariably not be dome in a coordinated way, leading to
a mess similar to the introduction of the Gregorian calendar. (If hopefully
without the Protestant Reformation.)
Given free choice, I would suggest more frequent smaller time corrections, but
1-second leap seconds are deeply entrenched and not worth changing
now.
If you want a time scale without leap seconds, use TAI. Or GPS time. UTC, like
all historical universal times, should remain basically coupled to the position
of the sun.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_July_2011 , 03h05
Nom = Seago
Prenom = John
Institut = Analytical Graphics, Inc.
Pays = USA
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_July_2011 , 10h24
Nom = Brumfitt
Prenom = Jon
Institut = ESAC
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_July_2011 , 13h15
Nom = Miguel J.
Prenom = Sevilla
Institut = Facultad de Matematicas. UCM
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_July_2011 , 17h01
Nom = Thornton
Prenom = Tim
Institut = Smartcom Software
Pays = UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Although dropping leap seconds would no doubt be convenient for some members of
the scientific community, for everyone else it is necessary for "official" time
to be in synch with "natural" time.
Also, it appears that the implications and means of management of time without
leap seconds has not yet been fully thought out.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_July_2011 , 18h37
Nom = Santos
Prenom = Marcelo
Institut = University of New Brunswick
Pays = Canada
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_July_2011 , 19h02
Nom = Hrudkova
Prenom = Marie
Institut = Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_July_2011 , 19h07
Nom = Ghigo
Prenom = Frank
Institut = National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=20_July_2011 , 02h28
Nom = Robinson
Prenom = Rob
Institut = International Occultation Timing Assn
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=20_July_2011 , 02h47
Nom = Breit
Prenom = Derek
Institut = IOTA
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=20_July_2011 , 09h30
Nom = Quiles
Prenom = Alfredo
Institut = ESA
Pays = Netherlands
Domaine = .
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=20_July_2011 , 12h11
Nom = Woan
Prenom = Graham
Institut = University of Glasgow
Pays = UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
My personal experience is that leap seconds create more problems than they
solve, especially when implemented by non-experts, and that time differences
between events should be easily computable.
One of the technicians at the Lords Bridge Observatory in Cambridge had tape
measure with 2 feet missing in the middle. *He* had no problem using it, but I
don't think it was a popular tape measure.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=20_July_2011 , 14h49
Nom = Gonzalez
Prenom = Francisco
Institut = ESA
Pays = The Netherlands
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=20_July_2011 , 15h04
Nom = Zebhauser
Prenom = Benedikt
Institut = Hexagon Technology Center
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Geodesy Surveying
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Why having another timescale without leapseconds parallel to TAI?
That makes no sense. TAI can already accessed precise enough for the most
applications in real-time e.g. from GPS time with a constant offset of 19
sec.
The introduction of leapseconds into UTC in 1972 was made for practical reasons
that are still valid today. Many applications would have to acquire current
corrections from services. Why complicating?
In case of unnecessarily changing the definition of UTC one would have to
re-introduce a further time-scale with the current UTC definition including
leap-seconds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=20_July_2011 , 17h35
Nom = Buie
Prenom = Marc
Institut = Southwest Research Institute
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Decoupling UTC from the Earth's rotation is sheer madness. We already have
a
dynamical time definition and that serves for the computational needs of
a
uniformly increasing time scale. UTC and its coupling to local time needs
to
stay as it is. From my point of view there is no advantage to changing
the
present system. The disadvantages are many, including the modification of
ALL
data acquisition and data reduction software for astronomical and
spacecraft
observations. The fact that this rewrite leads to no benefit argues
strongly
against the change.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=20_July_2011 , 18h58
Nom = Graham
Prenom = Francis
Institut = Kent State University
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=21_July_2011 , 00h34
Nom = Ray
Prenom = Paul
Institut = Naval Research Laboratory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=21_July_2011 , 13h08
Nom = Wood
Prenom = Derek
Institut = Open University
Pays = Scotland
Domaine = Marine
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
None
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=22_July_2011 , 12h24
Nom = Doom
Prenom = Claude
Institut = Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=22_July_2011 , 19h31
Nom = Karimbi
Prenom = Mahesh
Institut = Faculdade Ciência e Tecnologia / UNL
Pays = Portugal
Domaine = physical sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Everyone agrees that the occurrence of astronomical events are not exactly
periodic, so also, the relative movement of the Earth, Sun, Moon and some
considered Stars. Since the known history and in known civilisations, the
measurement of time depended on the astronomical events. Further, it is still
practised at almost all the fields ranging from the civil life, cultural
observations, military practices, sea navigations, to judge the future
astronomical events etc., except, in the laboratory scientific experiments.
Therefore, practice of having the 'leap' time magnitudes, such as, year, month
etc., and recently, seconds have been in course. Further, in the regions where,
'day light saving phenomenon' is observed, the adjustment of the time is again a
mandatory. The only difference in the adjustment process of the time in the all
the cases, except 'leap second', is that they are predefined and predetermined.
As with the latest technology, the job of predicting and publishing the
introduction of leap second is already done by IERS twice a year, it can be well
implemented for majority of the purposes except the laboratory scientific
experiments.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=22_July_2011 , 23h42
Nom = Wheatley
Prenom = Peter
Institut = University of Warwick
Pays = UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_July_2011 , 01h40
Nom = Douglas
Prenom = White
Institut = NA
Pays = australia
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=24_July_2011 , 03h46
Nom = Anonymous
Prenom = Anonymous
Institut = None
Pays = USA
Domaine = none
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
If you want a timescale with a constant offset from TAI, why not just use
TAI?
UTC is still important for keeping track of Earth's actual rotation (corrected
for accuracy). The purpose of timekeeping is to keep a stable relationship with
the cycles of the day and year. This proposed redefinition would end this link
and leave UTC completely arbitrary. This will have a disastrous impact on
professions such as astronomy, which require a timescale that corresponds with
planetary cycles. Why rob it from them? If you hate leap seconds, use TAI, while
people who need UTC can use it for themselves. The system, as it currently is,
works.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=24_July_2011 , 07h05
Nom = Banhatti
Prenom = Dilip G.
Institut = Madurai Kamaraj University
Pays = India
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Physics, Science Numeracy / Outreach
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Comments meant to generate a middle path between the two
alternatives.
# In early 1950s, Megh Nad Saha headed a team of scientists charged with
developing a suitable calendar. The team came up with a solar calendar displaced
from our usual Jauary-to-December one, but otherwise marking time at the same
rate, along with leap years & so forth, so as to serve festive Indian culture
better. This was adopted legally by Government of India, and is, in principle,
legal from then on, even to date. However, in practice, everyone in India uses
what the world does, perhaps mainly for commercial reasons. In fact, very few
people are aware that another "Indian" calendar IS (also) legal!
# For pulsar timing (especially), and pretty much all other time variable /
cyclic astro phenomena, Julian Day (JD) is used. Actual observations have time
markers of the observatory making them. Any astro calculation then must convert
to JD using standard conversion which includes any jumps (like leap
seconds).
(# Paul A M Dirac used laser lunar ranging data in a most imaginative way. Was
his use of these data in the way he did possible only due to some subtle issue
of timekeeping?)
# My preference: Retain both the alternatives for the different purposes where
they are needed, with the overheads for the needed change(s) minimized /
optimized in each of the two domains.
# I guess astrodynamicists essentially use the same standard data on timekeeping
that astronomers (at least currently) use to a lesser extent. Eventually, we may
have timekeeping tied to solar system barycentre.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_July_2011 , 00h12
Nom = Manchester
Prenom = Richard
Institut = CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science
Pays = Australia
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_July_2011 , 07h05
Nom = Powers
Prenom = Patrick
Institut = Formerly Logica plc
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Information Technology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
We are in tune with the sun. We have an important circadian rhythm tuned to the
sun.
This is the essence of
time as we experience it. High noon when the sun is at its apex is midday,
halfway between sunrise and sunset, not 13:23:34 DST (Digital Daylight
Standard Mean Civil Clock Time). We cannot get past our innate sense of
solar time, the rhythm and duration of solar cycles. It is part of our
being. This is what sundials show, true solar time.
Granted the change to atomic time is a minor adjustment from solar
astronomical time, at this time. But the difference is cumulative.
The
difference will accumulate through the centuries. In the future we would be
getting up in the morning at 12:00 or whatever abstract number is defined by
vibrating Cesium atoms. The odd leap second can adjust for the slower
rotation of the earth. Is this better than the riots when an abrupt shift
like the Gregorian correction is required. Computers are easier to
reprogram than people.
It will simply not be possible for all humanity to be aware of a time measure
that is out of synchronism with the sun and this will generate years of requests
for a return to the present status. Let us not even go there.
"Cogito ergo sum". Thinking people rule, technology
serves.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_July_2011 , 09h42
Nom = Foschini
Prenom = Luigi
Institut = INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Pays = Italy
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_July_2011 , 13h23
Nom = McEnery
Prenom = Julie
Institut = NASA/GSFC
Pays = United States
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_July_2011 , 15h16
Nom = Roth
Prenom = Martin
Institut = AIP
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_July_2011 , 17h54
Nom = Noël
Prenom = Fernando
Institut = National Astronomical Observatory
Pays = Chile
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_July_2011 , 19h50
Nom = Grandi
Prenom = Steven
Institut = National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=26_July_2011 , 21h40
Nom = Rundle
Prenom = Nicholas
Institut = Rockwell Collins
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
In satellite communications, time needs to be very accurate between terrestrial
terminals and the payload on the space vehicle. The time source is entered from
UTC. Since most computer systems have no notion of a leap second, they must be
added to the UTC time in order to create the actual time used by the
communications network. This creates enormous complexity especially when leap
seconds are added.
Since the communications systems are all computer controlled, the notion of time
in relation to the Earth's rotation is not important as it is to the human
population.
Please redefine UTC to be uniformly increasing without leap seconds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=27_July_2011 , 03h14
Nom = Brown
Prenom = Kyle
Institut = Unassigned
Pays = United States of America
Domaine = Web Applications Programmer
Reponse = I have no opinion or preference
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=27_July_2011 , 10h39
Nom = Ron
Prenom = Cyril
Institut = Astronomical Institute of Acad. Sciences
Pays = Czech Republic
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=27_July_2011 , 16h04
Nom = Kaplan
Prenom = George
Institut = (Contractor to U.S. Naval Observatory)
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Applications that require a continuous time scale (without leap seconds) should
use TAI.
In previous discussion of this issue, the necessity of the proposed change has
not been clearly articulated, while the consequences of the proposed change, for
large numbers of software systems, have been discounted. A full assessment of
the number of software systems that assume that UT1=UTC has not been carried
out. In fact, such an assessment would be difficult to carry out as a limited
exercise because the UT1=UTC assumption is often implicit.
Leap seconds are a well-defined international standard that, although
inconvenient, are within the capabilities of current technology, just as they
were within the capabilities of the technology of 1972. "Inconvenience" is not
a justification for so fundamental a change.
Furthermore, the ITU is not the correct international entity to change the
definition of the worldwide system of civil time. This is more than just a
change to a radio signal; it involves the very definition of what we mean by
civil time and potentially affects every person within the developed or
developing world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=27_July_2011 , 19h18
Nom = Mya
Prenom = Buttreeks
Institut = Sam Houston Institute of Technology
Pays = USA
Domaine = Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
UTC shoudl be redefined to be in line with New York time. Let the rest of you
suckers convert. USA#1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=27_July_2011 , 20h02
Nom = Pinto
Prenom = Heitor David
Institut = NASA
Pays = United States
Domaine = Global navigation satellite systems
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The problems created by leap seconds are rare and manageable, and therefore do
not justify the adoption of a time scale no longer related to the rotation of
the Earth.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_July_2011 , 08h11
Nom = Mohasseb
Prenom = Mohamed
Institut = Arab Acdemy for Science and Technology
Pays = Egypt
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_July_2011 , 10h53
Nom = Vondrak
Prenom = Jan
Institut = Astron. Inst.., Acad. Sci. Czech Rep.
Pays = Czech Republic
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_July_2011 , 22h29
Nom = Himwich
Prenom = William
Institut = NASA GSFC
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
It is more than that we are satisfied with the current definition of UTC. We
depend on it. It is built implicitly into many systems that we use and support
world-wide for radio astronomy and geodesy. It will be a significant
perturbation on these systems, many extremely difficult to modify, if the
definition changes.
If there is no way to stop eliminating leap seconds, the proposal to have a
"leap hour" is unrealistic and appears to just be an attempt to make time
coordination some one (who hasn't been born yet) else's problem. This option
also has serious undesirable effect. A more realistic option with less
undesirable effects would be a "leap minute", but that would also defer
difficult issues unresponsibly.
The fundamental problem is that most (if not all) computer operating systems as
they exist now do not properly recognize leap seconds. This can be corrected
now, in the present day, and would provide a long term solution.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_July_2011 , 11h25
Nom = Steeghs
Prenom = Danny
Institut = University of Warwick
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_July_2011 , 20h15
Nom = Ste. Marie
Prenom = Paul
Institut = Amazon.com
Pays = United States of America
Domaine = software development
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_August_2011 , 10h05
Nom = Smith
Prenom = Marlyn
Institut = British Astronomical Association
Pays = GBR
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_August_2011 , 10h41
Nom = Boomkamp
Prenom = Henno
Institut = IAG WG 1.1.1 / ESOC
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Geodesy Space-sciences
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
The essence of the current UTC definition is its sub-second offset from UT1.
Take that property away, and UTC no longer exists: it becomes identical to TAI
apart from the arbitrary constant offset. The discussion on stopping further
leap seconds is therefore equivalent to a proposal for shifting the origin of
the TAI time by the arbitrary amount of 34 seconds, and calling this shifted TAI
scale "UTC", as if it is significantly different from TAI. It is not: it is
exactly the same as TAI, apart from an arbitrarily different origin. The origin
of TAI is already arbitrary, so what would be the point in having this UTC scale
in parallel to it?
Arguments in favor of stopping further leap seconds are usually related to
software issues, or to the political authority of announcing a formal leap
second. We have always managed to live with these issues in the past.
Furthermore, the increasingly important reprocessing activities of the
scientific community imply that our software will forever have to be capable of
dealing with past leap seconds (historic data often has UTC time stamps), even
if no new leap seconds would occur in the future. The software argument is
therefore rather weak.
Our "other preference" is therefore as follows. We introduce a new UTC
definition without leap seconds, but call it "TAI2000" rather than UTC. Instead
of the arbitrary shift of 34 seconds between the UTC and TAI origin, we use the
offset at the J2000 epoch, which was 32 seconds. This (forever) constant offset
between TAI and TAI2000 is just as arbitrary as when we would keep the current
number of leap seconds frozen forever, but at least there would be some physical
meaning to it. Also, it makes sense to call this new scale TAI2000 rather than
UTC2000. The old UTC should then continue as it is - with leap seconds - because
that is the only relevant way in which UTC is different from TAI.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_August_2011 , 13h39
Nom = Boot
Prenom = Teco
Institut = Inifinity Networks
Pays = Netherlands
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_August_2011 , 19h30
Nom = Gordon
Prenom = David
Institut = NASA/GSFC
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_August_2011 , 21h33
Nom = Ruppert
Prenom = Lyle
Institut = Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp
Pays = US
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
UTC as presently defined is an optimal choice of timescales in many
applications. Other options are already available for applications in which a
leap second might be inconvenient.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=02_August_2011 , 13h26
Nom = Luzum
Prenom = Brian
Institut = USNO
Pays = USA
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=02_August_2011 , 15h45
Nom = cook
Prenom = mike
Institut = n/a
Pays = France
Domaine = Time-laboratory
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
The issue in hand is more than redefining UTC.
There are three requirements of time transmission that are met by the current
recommendation of ITU-R TF.460-6.
a) Ticks of SI seconds, used by all.
b) Current value for DUT1.
c) A civil time scale, UTC, used world wide as a legal time scale, directly
descending from and now synonymous with GMT which is still the legal definition
in many countries laws.
The current proposition to change ITU-R TF.460 provides for ONLY the first of
the above requirements. Although there has been no consensus on change in the
last 10 years, I think the the whole issue should go back to ITU-R WPA7 with the
remit to devise a recommendation that includes ALL of the above requirements and
to postpone any change until that recommendation is finalised. The current
system will be quite satisfactory out to about 2300. As there is no need for
precipitation, WPA7 could start from scratch and ask what is and will be
required in future for time transmission.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=03_August_2011 , 13h11
Nom = Visser
Prenom = Hans
Institut = Fugro Satellite Positioning BV
Pays = Netherlands
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=04_August_2011 , 01h55
Nom = Sutton
Prenom = Jordan
Institut = Cascade Climatology Consulting Corp.
Pays = United States
Domaine = Meteorologist
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I feel that the leap second is necessary to keep time as accurate as possible.
There can be no "perfect clock" or "perfect calendar", since the earth's
rotation is not constant, and therefore, the earth is not a perfect timekeeper.
Due to tidal drag, the earth's rotation rate is slowing down at a very slight
rate; the slowing is measured by the quantity delta-t, which is usually
expressed in seconds. So, when delta-t increases by a second, a leap second
becomes necessary.
Over time, leap seconds will be needed more frequently due to the fact that
delta-t is proportional to the square of elapsed time. Currently, a leap second
is typically added every one to two years. As time progresses, leap seconds
will be needed several times a year, then every month, then every week, then
every day, ..., and so forth. At this point, millenia into the future, it might
be more logical to insert a leap minute, or better yet, perhaps once a century
make accurate clocks that run just a bit slower, thus redifining the length of
the second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=04_August_2011 , 04h50
Nom = Channon
Prenom = Tim
Institut = private
Pays = UK
Domaine = various technical fields
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The arguments in favour of a change are weak whereas longer term trust in a
system which is consistent is vital.
The risk of unintended consequences are considerable. (side effects)
We had a good example of bad argument acting as a justification for change here
in England. This was about a move of currency system to decimal. The bad
argument was about newly introduced digital computers. Some years later the
stupidity of the argument is forgotten, is a trivial problem for computing.
Whether losing a human sized unit of measuring was good or bad is not the point
here.
The degree of reliance on GPS etc. is a grave concern. Any argument about the
dire consequences of trouble with GPS ought to raise questions about existing
safety and fixed independently. If GPS internally needs a fixed time that is a
GPS problem, could for example be fixed elsewhere, time altered for
display.
Awkward system updates? It is their job and the job of a competent design.
Design out the problem.
From a design perspective, if you absolutely require local reliability you split
the system, disconnect dependence. As an equipment designer I have had to do
this on timing, whereas relying on an external clock as reference is cheap and
asking for trouble. Plenty try to do this.
Live with it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=05_August_2011 , 23h15
Nom = Levandowski
Prenom = Robert
Institut = MacWhiz Technologies
Pays = USA
Domaine = Information technology; Finance
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
UTC reflects the reality of the universe in which we live. The proposal to
redefine UTC will cause UTC to drift away from reality, making it inaccurate.
In the case of the systems I maintain, it will cause immense disruption due to
the need to change code and procedures that currently understand UTC to include
leap seconds. Accurate, synchronized time is vital for the operation of many
computer protocols. It's also vital to tracking down issues that occur between
systems used by different organizations, and a sub-second accuracy can be
crucial in aligning events. The possibility that some organizations will use a
redefined UTC while others use DUT1 would cause massive disruption. Please stop
the insanity.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=06_August_2011 , 23h14
Nom = Little
Prenom = Matthew
Institut = none
Pays = USA
Domaine = general public interested in metrology
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
I would like the plan to be to correct UTC to UT1 when the divergence has
reached an hour (3600 seconds) as that could be implemented as no net change as
countries go to Daylight or Summer Time and such correction wouldn't have to be
applied for much longer periods of time than the leap second. Everyone would
still subtract an hour to go to the adjusted standard time at the end of that
year's Daylight or Summer time. Yes, places that don't observe Daylight/Summer
Time would have to change their clocks an hour at some point, I
realize.
I believe it is appealing to keep the solar crossing of the zero meridian noon
UTC *generally*, just that the correction can be allowed to accumulate to a
quantity that can be planned for conveniently long in advance and then the
next correction need not be worried about for another long period rather than
worrying about "nudging" all the clocks so often.
However, looking at the situation from the point of view of correcting one's
clocks, I note that when corrections are applied does not make much practical
difference with my computer set via Internet time server and a separate clock
set automatically via WWVB as these clocks would set themselves to the updated
time and involve very little effort on my part whether the leap second policy
is changed or not. Those relying on UT1 would likely need to track it just as
much whether UTC is being corrected by leap seconds or not and we agree UT1 is
the less predictable scale that needs to be tracked and analyzed regardless of
agreement with UTC.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=06_August_2011 , 23h26
Nom = Skehan
Prenom = Sean
Institut = City of Los Angeles - Government Agency
Pays = USA
Domaine = Transportation
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Significant amounts of transportation infrastructure in the USA are dependent on
the accuracy of UTC for communications, coordination and operation. Leap seconds
play an important part in keeping this equipment in sync. Allowing UTC to
diverge from UT1 will in the long term be problematic. Also, the small and
predictable leap second increments are much more tolerable than larger step
adjustments proposed (leap minute or leap hour) and less troubling then letting
UTC drift away from UT1. Please save the Leap Second!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=07_August_2011 , 12h25
Nom = King
Prenom = Frank
Institut = British Sundial Society (Chairman)
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Leap seconds are as crucial for synchronising the daily rotation of the earth
to
clock time as leap days are for synchronising the seasons to the
calendar.
Please retain the current definition of UTC and the leap second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=07_August_2011 , 12h34
Nom = mohamadi
Prenom = jahanbakhsh
Institut = zanjan_university
Pays = iran
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=07_August_2011 , 21h58
Nom = Kisselov
Prenom = Ivo
Institut = n/a
Pays = Bulgaria
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
As UTC is often reffered to and used in numerous calculations in all sectors and
activites by a really very wide, diffuse and in fact hard to reach community at
present, it would be better to leave it defined as it is today for official
use.
After several decades when the new generation of satelite navigation and time
keeping systems are fully developed and integrated, and our accuracy and
modeling capabilities improve by a couple of orders, this probably would be
reconsidered with a far longer perspective in mind, by a more understanding user
community, and in a truly global manner.
Meanwhile - not to hamper the scietific work - probably a new "UTC0" (or so) can
be defined that would drift away from solar time and progress uniformly (with
the inevitable frequent improvements and changes to come with our
development).
Competent researchers will no doubt be able to easyly handle such a change and
make good use of it, without throwing hundreds of thousands of non-specialists
into the next half-baked "measurement system bog" just because we have noticed
an imperfection and want to try to impose a fix at once. Change is inevitable
and needed, but should be done intelligently, not impatiently.
Ivo Kisselov
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=08_August_2011 , 14h36
Nom = THEUILLON
Prenom = Gwladys
Institut = SHOM
Pays = France
Domaine = Geodesy Geophysics Hydrography
Reponse = I have no opinion or preference
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=08_August_2011 , 15h32
Nom = Hartmann
Prenom = Wilfried
Institut = IGP, ETH Zürich
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Geodesy Geophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=09_August_2011 , 14h32
Nom = Rodin
Prenom = Alexander
Institut = Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory
Pays = Russia
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
I prefer "leap minute" introduced every 50 or 100 years.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=10_August_2011 , 12h31
Nom = Sauve
Prenom = Michael
Institut = Alien Technology, LLC
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Telecommunication Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
All needs for a timescale which lacks discontinuities (leap seconds) can be
fulfilled by using TAI. There is simply NO rational argument for redefining UTC,
which is historically linked to earth rotation, and used for that reason, to be
something it was never meant to be. There is no need for yet another time scale
with a fixed offset from TAI such as GPS and SMPTE timescales.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_August_2011 , 21h30
Nom = Klepczynski
Prenom = William
Institut = Global Timing Servcices, LLC
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
If UT1 is needed, it can easily be obtained from the IERS to even greater
precision than that available through transmitted time signals.
In this day and age, it should be a relatively easy task to re-program computers
to run at UT1 with known and predicted corrections to UTC. It is even possible
to have a digital clock which keeps UT1 using the published offsets of UT1 from
UTC if one is needed for guiding telescopes.
I see no technical reason for keeping the existing system other than TRADITION.
Even for celestial navigation, the published corrections to UTC can easily be
applied to sxetant observations.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_August_2011 , 04h35
Nom = Schuh
Prenom = Harald
Institut = IGG, Vienna University of Technology
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_August_2011 , 04h43
Nom = Ohnuki
Prenom = Tohru
Institut = Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=16_August_2011 , 00h32
Nom = Frankston
Prenom = Bob
Institut = Frankston
Pays = US
Domaine = Information Systems
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
We needn't fit all definitions of time into a single framework. Whether we call
this UTC or not is secondary.
We do, however, need to recognize that times in databases since 1972 have been
indeterminate since we can't be sure that leap seconds were honored and, in
fact, most databases can't deal with leap seconds and interval calculations
can't. For this reason we need to unwind leap seconds. This would be facilitated
by adopting a designation that is explicit about being uniform since
1972.
We can then adopt measures appropriate to domains that need to take into account
celestial objects and other considerations.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=16_August_2011 , 09h39
Nom = Davis
Prenom = John
Institut = British Sundial Society
Pays = UK
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Sundial design and consultancy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Leap seconds are crucial to keeping timekeeping locked to the rotation of the
earth. I (or my descendants) do not wish to have noon drift into the middle of
the night.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=16_August_2011 , 11h27
Nom = Oja
Prenom = Heikki
Institut = Helsinki University Almanac Office
Pays = Finland
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=17_August_2011 , 09h25
Nom = Gupta
Prenom = Sanjeev
Institut = DCS1
Pays = Singapore
Domaine = Telecommunication Network Research
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Changing the definition of UTC will cause a discontinuity.
I have no objections to a non-leap-second scale, but there is no reason to use
the same name. There is no shortage of new names that can be used for such a
scale, or call it TAI-34.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=17_August_2011 , 23h03
Nom = Cabeen
Prenom = Ted
Institut = UCSB
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_August_2011 , 04h52
Nom = Altman
Prenom = Jeffrey
Institut = OpenAFS
Pays = United States
Domaine = File system developer
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_August_2011 , 05h32
Nom = Buhrmaster
Prenom = Gary
Institut = Gary Buhrmaster
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_August_2011 , 08h10
Nom = Eggert
Prenom = Paul
Institut = UCLA Computer Science Department
Pays = USA
Domaine = Software engineering
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
My background is software engineering. I help maintain many widely
used computer programs that deal with leap seconds, including the
GNU
C library and the TZ (timezone)
database
and code . I see no real
need
for this change, and some reasonable arguments against it, mostly in
terms of complexity of transitioning to software implementing the
new
system.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_August_2011 , 14h56
Nom = Zijlstra
Prenom = Mark
Institut = Royal Netherlands Navy / CAMS-ForceVisio
Pays = the Netherlands
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Defense
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_August_2011 , 19h57
Nom = Colebourne
Prenom = Stephen
Institut = OpenGamma
Pays = UK
Domaine = Computing
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I believe it is fundamentally wrong for civil timekeeping to be altered in a way
that separates us from the solar day and that this has moral and ethical issues
beyond science or broadcasting. I also believe that is is wrong to continue to
use UTC for something different to what the UT prefix implies. TAI already
provides what this change seeks.
I believe that a large part of the problem has been computer systems that are
not setup to deal with leap seconds, however Java via JSR-310 is bringing full
leap second support and I expect others to follow. My experience as JSR-310 spec
lead indicates that developers (and humans generally) realy like the concept of
24 hours of exactly 60 minutes of exactly 60 seconds, and they would prefer to
see that maintained (such as via rubber seconds) rather than having to cope with
an occasional 61 second minute. I believe that the best solution to the issues
here are to publish leap seconds 5 years in advance, with the understanding that
DUT may exceed 0.9 seconds by a small amount if the prediction is wrong. Leap
seconds should be permitted at the end of any month.
I also believe that UTC-SLS (whether smoothed over 1000s, 600s or 1200s) should
be more widely published as the standard mechanism for mapping TAI + leap
seconds to civil time. Finally, I want to see the atomic duration of "SI
seconds" renamed (to duronds?) allowing the "second" to be used for civil time.
The duration of 1 second is 1 durond except near a leap, where it may be longer
or shorter (see UTC-SLS).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_August_2011 , 08h27
Nom = Emanov
Prenom = Alexey
Institut = Altay-Sayan branch of Geophysical Survey
Pays = RUSSIA
Domaine = Geophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_August_2011 , 17h50
Nom = Vasconcelos
Prenom = Manuela
Institut = Portuguese Geographic Institute
Pays = Portugal
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=19_August_2011 , 23h53
Nom = Storz
Prenom = Mark
Institut = Air Force Space Command
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Geophysics
Space-sciences Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The Office of the Secretary of Defense (through a letter from ASD/NII to the
State Department - June 29,2009) has already agreed to support the elimination
of leap seconds, but no earlier than January 1, 2019. Although no real cost
estimate for upgrading Air Force Space Command software has been performed, many
subject matter experts expect costs could be in the $100s of millions. A
schedule risk could also be incurred if the complexity of the software upgrades
is such that they cannot be tested and implemented by 1 Jan 2018 (date suggested
by ITU-R).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=20_August_2011 , 22h29
Nom = Klein
Prenom = Stanley
Institut = United States Power Squadrons
Pays = USA
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=22_August_2011 , 15h00
Nom = Mäkinen
Prenom = Jaakko
Institut = Finnish Geodetic Institute
Pays = Finland
Domaine = Geodesy Geophysics Metrology
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=22_August_2011 , 18h35
Nom = Fischer
Prenom = Michael
Institut = Marin Amateur Radio Society
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Thank you for maintaining the status quo!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=22_August_2011 , 20h16
Nom = Kerns
Prenom = Carrol
Institut = Kerns Associates
Pays = USA
Domaine = Meteorology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=22_August_2011 , 21h13
Nom = Deovlet
Prenom = Benjamin
Institut = Stanford University
Pays = United States of America
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=22_August_2011 , 21h23
Nom = ABRAHAM
Prenom = JAMES
Institut = RETIRED
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=22_August_2011 , 23h30
Nom = Denny
Prenom = Douglas
Institut = Ex-Institute of Measurement and Control
Pays = England
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
A common, globally used system, linked to the Earth's rotation/variation and
adjusted to be within one second at all times, or better, adjusted to within
100milliseconds (or better) by more frequent and automatic adjustments,
promulgated by the international time-standard radio systems, is the
common-sense way forward for the future use by the maximum number of people with
the least trouble to any of them.
Scientific use is more normally restricted to a relatively miniscule number of
people and systems, and can be promulgated via GPS signal embedded data and is
readily obtained for specialist use by specialist receivers. Let the few have
the greater trouble obtaining a continuous dynamical time system.
Dynamical Time can be linked to pulsars or continue to be defined by the latest
hydrogen maser, caesium fountain or other atomic systems technology.
Douglas Denny. BSc (Hons).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 00h26
Nom = Posick
Prenom = Steven
Institut = ESPN
Pays = USA
Domaine = Media and Broadcast
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The purpose of tracking time has historically been associated to the rotation of
the earth and the suns position within the sky. What's to point of a time based
system that does not reflect this? Who does it benefit and why? How will this
help everyday software engineers/architects like myself in making software
applications that function at a global scale (remember timezones)? Currently,
UTC is used, if UTC is changed then the impact will be far reaching as most
developers won't even understand the divergence. If someone needs a time
standard like this for scientific applications, make a new standard. Leave the
one everyone has become familiar with alone.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 05h09
Nom = Bliss
Prenom = Gerald
Institut = Retired
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I have no opinion or preference
Comment :
Just so we all are on the same tick !
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 05h26
Nom = Evans
Prenom = Andrew
Institut = MSK
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 07h25
Nom = Ekne
Prenom = IgnidzE
Institut = GS SB RAS
Pays = Russia
Domaine = Geophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
Remove leap seconds! Because it's very difficult to create programs with it
support. As result today 99% of programs have no support of them. For example if
we try to show graph of data in real time we should to do correction from system
time (if system have support of it). And we should introduce correctly 60
second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 09h19
Nom = Stephansen
Prenom = Helge
Institut = T-VIPS
Pays = Norway
Domaine = Broadcasting
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
For synchronisation of Single Frequency Transmitters in DVB-T2 ETSI EN 302 755
v1.1.1 Number of UTC seceonds since 1.1 2000 is used as reference for time. The
handling of leap seconds add a considerable complexity for equipment
manufacturers and for operators in order to preper and pre-program for the
insertion/removal of a leap second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 11h06
Nom = Cook
Prenom = Bert
Institut = Member of American Radio Relay League
Pays = United States of America
Domaine = Telecommunication Amateur Radio
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Presently UTC is the world accepted time standard used in world wide radio
communication. It is also the basis for the worlds established time zones. It
would be very awkward to have to refer to another time standard and further a
change wmight make it more difficult and more costly to maintain than the
current method. I realize that while the atomic time standard may be necessary
for some extremely delicate scientific needs in laboratories, etc; the present
system is the easiest and less expensive system to maintain and use in my
practice of Amateur Radio and Amateur Astronomy. Thank you. Bert H. Cook, K6CSL,
Riverbank, CA, USA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 12h50
Nom = Reis Paulino Cascalheira
Prenom = Telmo José
Institut = Geographic of Portuguese Army
Pays = Portugal
Domaine = Geodesy GIS
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Avoiding the leap seconds, will bring with time some problems that we cannot
figure out at the present time the consequences that will have. I strongly
recommend that a deep study into this subject is done and assess all the
consequences that might have. Only then the community is ready to discuss the
subject.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 13h33
Nom = Schaal
Prenom = Ricardo
Institut = EESC- Universitu os São Paulo
Pays = Brazil
Domaine = GPS applications
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 13h43
Nom = TRABANCO
Prenom = JORGE
Institut = UNICAMP
Pays = Brasil
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 15h17
Nom = Martins
Prenom = Paulo
Institut = Portuguese Army Geographic
Pays = Portugal
Domaine = Geodesy Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
It is very well described in the reference number two table 1 of the appendix
the pros and the cons of the UTC redefinition. From the perspective of our
institution this will bring additional and not quantified costs with no foreseen
benefits.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 15h22
Nom = Goncalves Ferreira
Prenom = Vagner
Institut = Hohai University
Pays = China
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 16h25
Nom = Rui
Prenom = Dias
Institut = Instituto Geográfico do Exército
Pays = Portugal
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=23_August_2011 , 18h14
Nom = Aranha Ribeiro
Prenom = Selma Regina
Institut = University State of Ponta Grossa - PR
Pays = Brasil
Domaine = Geodesy remote sensing data
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=24_August_2011 , 05h08
Nom = Calabretta
Prenom = Mark
Institut = Australia Telescope National Facility
Pays = Australia
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I am a software engineer with over 25 years experience in astronomical software
development and maintenance.
It is common for astronomical software to take advantage of the fact that UTC
approximates UT1 sufficiently well to be used for purposes such as Doppler
correction or low-precision calculation of apparent coordinates. If leap
seconds are dropped, the approximation UTC ~= UT1 will degrade slowly over a
period of years, only becoming obvious after decades.
Inevitably some, possibly much, software would not be adapted to the altered
definition of UTC. The error may go unnoticed at first, leading progressively
to ever more erroneous results over a timescale of years to decades. The famous
mis-identification of the first "pulsar planet" in the early 1990s, due to an
error in calculation of the Earth's ephemeris, illustrates the potential harm
that might result.
It is difficult to say how much software may be affected without conducting an
extensive y2k-type audit. Indeed, identifying potentially affected software,
and remediating that found, would in itself would be an expensive undertaking
for the astronomical community.
Dropping leap seconds would fundamentally alter the meaning of UTC, effectively
turning it into yet another atomic timescale offset by an integral number of
seconds from TAI. It would even devalue the meaning of "UTC" for the period
before leap seconds were dropped. This would affect the timestamps recorded in
a vast archive of astronomical data so that a distinction would have to be made
between "UTC with leap seconds" before a particular date, and "UTC without leap
seconds" after it.
Aside from astronomical considerations, there is an implicit assumption that
UTC, as the basis for civil time, is tied to the motion of the Sun. The very
existence of daylight savings time supports this observation. The proposal to
drop leap seconds essentially ignores this. There are only vague notions of
"leap hours", or resetting time zones in 600 years time when the error has
accumulated to one hour. I feel that this aspect of the proposal has not been
adequately addressed.
For these reasons I strongly oppose the proposal to drop leap seconds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=24_August_2011 , 07h58
Nom = SUAGHER
Prenom = Françoise
Institut = Association Astronomique de Franche-Comt
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=24_August_2011 , 15h33
Nom = ARANA
Prenom = JOSÉ MILTON
Institut = FCT/UNESP
Pays = BRAZIL
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=24_August_2011 , 23h50
Nom = Isaacs
Prenom = Michael
Institut = BSS
Pays = UK
Domaine = Horology, gnomics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Leap seconds are as crucial for synchronising clock time to the daily rotation
of the earth asleap days are for synchronising the calendar to the seasons.
Please retain the current definition of UTC and the leap second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 08h20
Nom = Mele
Prenom = Francesco
Institut = INGV
Pays = Italy
Domaine = Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 11h54
Nom = Maria
Prenom = Escuer
Institut = Instituto de Meteorologia
Pays = PORTUGAL
Domaine = Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 14h26
Nom = Earl
Prenom = Zmijewski
Institut = Renesys
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
A change at this point would break A LOT.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 15h11
Nom = Hansen
Prenom = Tony
Institut = AT&T Laboratories
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 15h22
Nom = Adolf
Prenom = Alexander
Institut = Condition-ALPHA Digital Broadcast Techno
Pays = Germany
Domaine = TV Broadcast
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
We fully understand and support the need for a non-leaping and unconstrained
time source. This will be very useful in many scientific and technical
use-cases.
Due to the very widespread use of UTC in commercial applications, we would
however be concerned over redefining UTC. It's major role in commercial
applications is providing a time-zone neutral (and hence reliable) way of
specifying points in time for applications which are linked to, or depend on
human activities (e.g. radio/TV broadcast or air travel) and therefore need to
be aligned with day/night cycles (i.e. Earth rotation). In this role, UTC has
become a brand name, and has been referred to in literally hundreds of
standards, and in countless computer software interfaces.
We would hence like to kindly suggest that - instead of redefining UTC - a new
time source should be defined with the described properties. This would allow
commercial implementations using UTC to realize a migration path towards the new
time source. Whilst existing standards and implementations could remain
unchanged, new standards and application designs could make use of the new time
source. This would for sure be a commercially viable solution.
Redefing UTC with a 5-year deadline for updating all implementations would imply
huge investments for the commercial sector, without any perceived or visible
commercial advantage though. We are hence concerned that the de-definition
approach could lead to the change being largely ignored outside the scientific
community.
Hence our suggestion for defining a new time source.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 15h52
Nom = Hanna
Prenom = Stephen
Institut = Juniper Networks
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 16h28
Nom = Michael
Prenom = Richardson
Institut = CREDIL
Pays = Canada
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Given that computers all over the world (except some of the toys made in
Redmond), already have code to deal with leap seconds (and timezones), and we
all use a standard set of TIC files maintained by NIST.gov, I see no advantage
to
removing leap second calculations.
It isn't like we can remove that code, nor is that code particularly
big.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 19h01
Nom = Daniel
Prenom = Christopher
Institut = British Sundial Society
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics sundial design & delineation
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Leap seconds are as important, indeed crucial for the synchronisation of clock
time to the diurnal rotation of the Earth as leap days are for rectifying the
calendar with the seasons. I see absolutely no point in abandoning the use of
leap seconds, which have stood the test of time, and ask that the current
definition of UTC be retained together with the leap second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 20h06
Nom = Ellermann
Prenom = Frank
Institut = meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:YMD2MJD
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Computer Science, Mathematics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Whatever happens to UTC, I need POSIX timestamps based on 24*60*60 seconds per
day, and Modified Julian Days counting "observed" days corresponding to various
calendar dates.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 20h31
Nom = McQuillan
Prenom = Bill
Institut = Bill McQuillan
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Making UTC exactly track TAI (with a constant offset?) is redundant. Why have
two standards with the same characteristics?
If a user needs an atomic time without unpredictable "leaps" use TAI. Also, for
consistency TAI should NOT be expressed in terms of terrestrial motions like
days and years but rather in multiples of seconds (e.g., Kiloseconds,
Megaseconds,...)
Computers that cannot handle leap seconds should be replaced by ones that were
developed by competent engineers.
Leave UTC as-is for those of us that like our sun overhead at noon!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_August_2011 , 22h17
Nom = Carpenter
Prenom = Brian
Institut = Individual expert
Pays = New Zealand
Domaine = Telecommunication Internet protocol design
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
UTC diverging from UT1 would become a major headache for future generations. We
should continue to support the mild inconvenience of leap seconds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=26_August_2011 , 04h21
Nom = Chapin
Prenom = Lyman
Institut = Interisle Consulting Group
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=26_August_2011 , 11h09
Nom = Vesely
Prenom = Alessandro
Institut = tana
Pays = IT
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=26_August_2011 , 11h11
Nom = Weilbier
Prenom = Joerg
Institut = SIEMENS AG
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Telecommunication Energy distribution
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
I think, the proposal will reduce unexpected malfunctions in computer networks,
containing some components, can't handle current UTC definition of leap seconds
right.
It's really difficult to detect errorneous (regarding leap seconds) components
of a heterogene network and to predict behavior of functions, depending from
exact time.
It seems to me, that almost all current implementations - errorneous _and_ well
made - of UTC handling devices will work right with the new proposal.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=26_August_2011 , 12h47
Nom = Vicente
Prenom = Raimundo
Institut = Faculty of Sciences,Lisbon
Pays = Portugal
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
In order to avoid the introduction of another discontinuity in the actual
system of units,constants and parameters,employed in astronomy,geodesy and
geophysics, which already presents lack of consistency.
I am,therefore, satisfied with the current definition of UTC which includes
leap second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=26_August_2011 , 13h43
Nom = Pereira
Prenom = Jorge
Institut = Servicio Hidrografico y Oceanografico de
Pays = Chile
Domaine = Hydrography and Oceanography
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Many users of our products, as well as surveyors support point 1 and indicate
they are satisfied with current definition of UTC
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_August_2011 , 16h20
Nom = Heard
Prenom = Charles
Institut = Private Consultant
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
For applications where leap seconds are significant nuisance, direct use of TAI
would be appropriate. It is not necessary to redefine UTC for that purpose. On
the other hand, if UTC were redefined to have a constant offset from TAI, the
lack of a time scale tied to the Earth's rotation would necessitate inventing
something very similar to the current UTC to replace it. So my strong
preference is to leave it as is.
By way of background, I have in the past written software for test equipment to
convert UTC (as reported from a commercial GPS receiver) to something with a
constant offset from TAI for timestamping purposes, so I am aware of the issues
involved.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_August_2011 , 17h25
Nom = Eichenstein
Prenom = Yisruel
Institut = Jewish Calendar Institute - Scientist
Pays = Israel
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Time-laboratory Jewish Time-Studies
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
My opinion is that the proposed change in the concept of UTC in a way it will
not keep pace with the diurnal rotation of Earth is a significant deviation from
the way humanity is measuring time along the history and the way we always
perceived the concept of Day and Second.
I think that just like there is an accepted consensus that the Calendar is
synchronized with the annual revolution of the heavenly bodies, and there is no
idea to change it, the same is with the UTC concept which is not different, and
for sure it's not something which could be changed in a narrow assembly, but it
needs a worldwide referendum which it's currently not possible, because of this
my opinion is to strongly oppose such a redefinition in the UTC
concept.
About the problem of the increasing amount of machines which depends on UTC, I
think that's very easy to create a universal protocol which should be programmed
in such a way it should easy accept the Leap Second, also regarding the Julian
Day when measured according to UTC, it's possible to program that at the day a
Leap Second will be added, already in the beginning of that day the Second of
that day should be measured a 86,401 part of the Day and not a 1/86,400.
Regarding the problem that the number of Leap Seconds that's will be required to
inset will increase during the next tens and hundreds of years, it's possible to
introduce a system that every hundred years (or any other time span) should the
length of the second be determined anew according the LOD at that time, so it
will be avoided the need of frequent insertion of Leap Seconds.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_August_2011 , 17h28
Nom = Genut
Prenom = Mordche
Institut = Jewish Calendar Institute - President
Pays = Israel
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_August_2011 , 20h51
Nom = Vincent
Prenom = Fiona
Institut = University of St.Andrews
Pays = Scotland, UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The abstract idea of "Time" is a concept which humans find difficult to deal
with, but its embodiment in the cycle of day and night allows us to feel
comfortable with it. I think it would be morally undesirable to divorce our
time-keeping system from the basic rhythms of life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_August_2011 , 21h54
Nom = Stapleton
Prenom = Roger
Institut = University of St.Andrews
Pays = UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
My work is on the control system for a 1m class telescope (built about 1960).
Its pointing system is not super-accuate so I only need UT1+/-1sec to get the
pointing accuaracy needed. This is at present supplied by UTC via the internet
and the NTP service. If UTC is abandoned by the removal of leap seconds I
require easy access to the error between UT1 of the new timescale. I have seen
no suggestion that such a service will be part of the change. There will also be
a cost in programming time to incorporate this service - assuming that it is
created.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_August_2011 , 22h21
Nom = Bortzmeyer
Prenom = Stéphane
Institut = AFNIC
Pays = France
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
After reading the two excellent papers mentioned as reference, and after
discussing the matter with several persons, I tend to think that the fundamental
problem is the existence of several user communities, each with different (but
perfectly legitimate) requirments. Because these requirments are different,
there is zero chance to find a way to satisy them all with one time scale. The
only solution is therefore to have several scales and to let each community
choose the one which fits its requirments.
Of course, there are already several time scales. I feel that most of the needs
of people who want the end of leap seconds would be satisfied by TAI (a very
regular time scale, without "steps" and without link with the solar time). If,
for one reason ot the other, TAI is not perfect for them, and there is no
existing time scale suitable, it may be interesting to develop a new time scale
(I'm not convinced it will be necessary: many proposals, such as the one for the
"new UTC", are YATSCOT - "Yet Another Time Scale with a Constant Offset to
Tai"). But using the term UTC for a new time scale seems confusing because
people and software are now used to the existing definition of UTC.
The root cause of the dispute, I believe, is that too many people would like to
have a "primary" time scale, one which is "more equal than others", hence the
fight over UTC (actually, over the name "UTC"). The proper framework of thought
would be, not only to have several time scales, but also to recognize them are
"equal" and choosen at will by the different communities.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_August_2011 , 23h05
Nom = Arnold
Prenom = Mathieu
Institut = Absolight
Pays = France
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=28_August_2011 , 23h24
Nom = Rascanu
Prenom = Theodor
Institut = Institut für Kernphysik Frankfurt
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
In my opinion there is no logic behind setting UTC constant to TAI, since in
that case one could directly use TAI.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_August_2011 , 11h05
Nom = Ferreira
Prenom = Rui
Institut = MOG Technologies
Pays = Portugal
Domaine = Broadcasting
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_August_2011 , 12h15
Nom = Da Silva Costa
Prenom = Paulo
Institut = LNEG
Pays = Portugal
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_August_2011 , 18h48
Nom = OGDEN
Prenom = Andrew
Institut = worshipful company of clockmakers
Pays = republic of Ireland
Domaine = Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Leap seconds are crucial for synchronising clock time with the daily rotation of
the earth. Please retain the current definition of UTC and the leap
second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_August_2011 , 21h30
Nom = Auerbach
Prenom = David
Institut = Technical University Eindhoven
Pays = Netherlands
Domaine = Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_August_2011 , 22h45
Nom = Mann
Prenom = Christopher
Institut = Michael Fields
Pays = USA
Domaine = Agriculture
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_August_2011 , 22h49
Nom = Leneweit
Prenom = Gero
Institut = Carl Gustav Carus-Institute
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Nanotechnology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_August_2011 , 22h52
Nom = Winiwarter
Prenom = Verena
Institut = IFF Social Ecology
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Environmental History
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The symbolic significance of giving up our attachment to natural rhythms should
not be underestimated.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_August_2011 , 22h58
Nom = schaerer
Prenom = alec
Institut = geography -- u of basel
Pays = switzerland
Domaine = integral methodology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_August_2011 , 23h19
Nom = Weigl
Prenom = Herwig
Institut = Dept of History, Univ. Vienna
Pays = Austria
Domaine = history
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 00h04
Nom = Jacobi
Prenom = Johanna
Institut = University of Berne
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 00h27
Nom = Giorgini
Prenom = Jon
Institut = NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences solar
system ephemerides
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Redefining UTC and dropping leap-seconds must not be imposed on those already
successfully using it for the mild or theoretical convenience of others.
Perpetually troublesome communication problems with the ephemeris-using public
would be introduced; it is not simply a numerical and software modification
issue.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 04h06
Nom = Woo
Prenom = Wang Chun
Institut = The Hong Kong Observatory
Pays = Hong Kong, China
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geophysics Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
1. Designing, operating and testing time service equipment for leap seconds
require tremendous efforts, yet they are still error-prone as leap seconds are
introduced only occasionally.
2. The possibility of leap seconds makes it impossible to compile calendar
valid for decades/centuries.
3. It is difficult to explain to the public why leap seconds are necessary,
given that the time shift of sunrise/transit/sunset occur over hundreds of
years.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 04h39
Nom = KOEHLER
Prenom = Reinhard, Dr.rer.nat.
Institut = Carl Gustav Carus-Institut
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Geophysics Hydrodynamics in Pharmazeutics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 07h32
Nom = Heertsch
Prenom = Andreas
Institut = Verein für Krebsforschung
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Medical devices
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 08h06
Nom = FICHMEISTER
Prenom = Hellmut
Institut = Graz University of Technology
Pays = AT
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 08h30
Nom = Auerbach
Prenom = Raymond
Institut = Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Pays = South Africa
Domaine = Agriculture
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
It is important in my field to have the connection with the actual astronomical
events to which time is related in terms of daylight, planetary cycles and
seasons. Please keep it as it is!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 08h40
Nom = RAMM
Prenom = Hartmut
Institut = Hiscia
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Cancer research
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The Sun is the source of life - let's keep connected.
HR
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 09h16
Nom = SCHWARZ
Prenom = Reinhard
Institut = Ordination
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Medicine
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 09h27
Nom = Sutter
Prenom = Christine
Institut = Institut für Stroemungswissenschaften
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 10h03
Nom = Lukas
Prenom = Dostal
Institut = none
Pays = Czech Republic
Domaine = Astronomy as hobby / medicin
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 10h07
Nom = Baur
Prenom = Felix
Institut = private
Pays = CH
Domaine = medicine
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 10h51
Nom = Moser
Prenom = Max
Institut = Institute for Physiology, Med Uni Graz
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Medicine, Physiology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 11h08
Nom = Schmitt
Prenom = Tobias
Institut = Gabriel-Tech
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 11h10
Nom = Seifert
Prenom = Georg
Institut = Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Medicine
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 11h17
Nom = Kranz, Christoph
Prenom = Christoph
Institut = none
Pays = Austria
Domaine = pedagogic
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 11h21
Nom = Landl
Prenom = Richard
Institut = Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen
Pays = Germany
Domaine = pädagogical science
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 12h23
Nom = Haberl
Prenom = Helmut
Institut = Institute of Social Ecology, AAU
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Social Ecology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 12h49
Nom = Van der Wal
Prenom = Jacob
Institut = Dynamension
Pays = Netherlands
Domaine = Medicine
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 12h50
Nom = McKeeen
Prenom = Claudia
Institut = Fachschule/Kindergartenseminar
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Medizin und Pädagogik
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 12h50
Nom = Els
Prenom = Ruitenberg
Institut = Dynamension
Pays = Netherlands
Domaine = none
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 13h18
Nom = Crawford
Prenom = Athalie
Institut = Quaker Peace Centre
Pays = South Africa
Domaine = Diversity
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 13h36
Nom = Gelinek
Prenom = Oskar
Institut = STENUM
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Environmental Consulting
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 13h45
Nom = Barrett
Prenom = Paul
Institut = US Naval Observatory
Pays = United States
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 14h03
Nom = Kiene
Prenom = Helmut
Institut = IFAEMM
Pays = Germany
Domaine = medicine
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 14h08
Nom = Raderschatt
Prenom = Bert
Institut = Praxis
Pays = Germany
Domaine = General practioner
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 14h24
Nom = Merimaa
Prenom = Mikko
Institut = Centre for Metrology and Accreditation
Pays = Finland
Domaine = Time-laboratory National Metrology Institute
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
Considering seasonal deviations of the apparent solar time and quantization
caused by time zones, leap seconds introduced to UTC are of minor importance to
the general public. In a modern society, there are relatively few applications
that require time synchronized to UT1, while leap seconds create problems in
data logging, time stamping, telecommunication systems and time distribution
services. Thus, a serious consideration should be given to stop corrections to
UTC while the published difference between UTC and UT1 could be used in
applications where UT1 is needed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 14h57
Nom = mayer
Prenom = helmut
Institut = IPMR
Pays = Austria Vienna
Domaine = Rehabilitation Medizin
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 14h57
Nom = Dr. Moravansky
Prenom = Johann
Institut = priv pract
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Dr.med.
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 15h05
Nom = Liess
Prenom = Christian
Institut = HTWG Konstanz
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Fluid dynamics engineer
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 15h21
Nom = Seelbach
Prenom = Dr. Volker
Institut = Waldorfschool at Wangen / Allgäu
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Biology- and Chemistry-Teacher
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 15h44
Nom = Volkmann
Prenom = Juern-Hinrich
Institut = DGI
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Literature
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 16h33
Nom = Rabethge
Prenom = Helga
Institut = Naturheilmedizin
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geisteswissenschaft
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 17h01
Nom = Albonico
Prenom = Hans-Ulrich
Institut = Cosmic Intuitive System Promotion CISP
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Biochronology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 17h24
Nom = Bauer
Prenom = Hermann
Institut = school
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 17h27
Nom = cimino
Prenom = giancarlo
Institut = asl8 cagliari
Pays = italy
Domaine = Physician
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 17h32
Nom = Malicky
Prenom = Michael
Institut = Oberösterreichische Landesmuseen
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Informatics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 17h35
Nom = Allen
Prenom = John
Institut = Edinburgh Univeristy
Pays = Scotland
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I acknowledge that UTC needs to follow the atomic time for astronomical and
computing needs but it means changes to the way we read time from the sun
(sundials being one example). Also it means that the meridan, now at Greenwich
will effectively move slowly eastwards - which is confusing.
Can astronomers and computing people (the minority of the population) use
another system that keeps in step with atomic time(I believe there are some
already available)
Let us not confuse the oridinary folk with this change and keep the status
quo!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 18h24
Nom = Weaver
Prenom = Nicholas
Institut = ICSI
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The leap-second addition, when it occurs, is transparent to most computer users,
programmers, etc, as systems are synced using NTP (Network Time Protocol) to
UTC.
But if UTC, by removing leap-second addition, is allowed to diverge from Earth
rotational time, when the accumulated divergence is over >1 minute, there will
be pressure to redefine local times in terms of UTC - 60s, which will
significantly disrupt a large number of computers, programs, etc, which rely on
twin assumptions:
a) That UTC represents human-scale time
b) That the offset between UTC and local time doesn't suffer
discontinuities.
The proposed change in definition of UTC will cause significant disruptions in
the future on effectively every computer on the planet, as these assumptions
about UTC ~= UT1 is baked into all these devices we use today.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 19h02
Nom = Schwarz
Prenom = Anneliese
Institut = Physik
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 19h11
Nom = Schröter
Prenom = Astrid
Institut = GCC
Pays = China
Domaine = Industry and Trade
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 20h16
Nom = Schmidt
Prenom = Martina
Institut = IPSUM
Pays = Germany
Domaine = physician
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 20h36
Nom = Noest
Prenom = Ingrid
Institut = privat
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Floristic
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 20h51
Nom = Dickson
Prenom = Brian
Institut = VeriSign
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication Networking protocols, equipment, service
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Since TAI exists, any need for a fixed offset from TAI can be achieve by... a
fixed offset from TAI.
UTC is different from TAI because it is different than TAI.
Duh.
UTC exists for many reasons, and is an accepted standard, which is the basis for
an entire category of time-related functions:
- astronomy (consistent and accurate measurements require consistent and
accurate time)
- GPS
- GPS-derived super-accurate clocks for synchronized network transmission
equipment
- GPS-derived super-accurate clocks for networking protocols
- GPS-derived super-accurate clocks for security logs
- GPS-derived super-accurate clocks for satellite communication buffering
(Doppler effect cancellation)
- GPS-derived super-accurate clocks for keeping computers synchronized for
inter-machine communication/coordination (filesystems, schedulers,
etc.)
All of these require that UTC be consistent, and have not much to do with
TAI-UTC drift.
All systems that derive nanosecond-level clocking from GPS, do so with knowledge
of leap seconds, and do not experience frequency-shift off of TAI
nanosecond-level clocking.
All systems that derive clock-face-time do so with knowledge of leap seconds,
and maintain their synchronization across leap-second events.
Changing UTC to not implement leap-seconds can obviously be easily implemented,
by not counting leap seconds. However, this achieves nothing of value, and does
so at a significant detriment to every human activity that currently relies on
UTC and GPS.
Please reject this, permanently.
Brian Dickosn
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 20h58
Nom = Jacobi
Prenom = Michael
Institut = Institut für Strömungswissenschaften
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 21h23
Nom = Kestel
Prenom = Tobias
Institut = White Elephant DesignLab
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Industrial Design
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 21h26
Nom = Dr. Kindt
Prenom = Reinhard
Institut = Anthroposophical Society
Pays = Germany
Domaine = medical doctor
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 21h55
Nom = Schwarz
Prenom = Valentin
Institut = Weleda AG
Pays = Germany
Domaine = life science/microbiology
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 22h06
Nom = Kröswagn
Prenom = Armin Kröswagn
Institut = private
Pays = Österreich
Domaine = pediatrician
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 22h14
Nom = Varga
Prenom = Marta
Institut = TU Budapest
Pays = Hungary
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 22h17
Nom = Jacobi
Prenom = Martin
Institut = Sozialtherap. Gemeinschaften Ww e. V.
Pays = Germany
Domaine = musician (a=432 Hertz)
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
No doubt to me - by shifting time one hour ahead what happens every year end of
March time is spoiled enough. "Summer Time" to me means more worrying, more
distress, less enthousiasm.
Redefining the second in the above way would mean wrong tone system; music would
not have to do with human feelings any more. Never I can accept that.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 22h22
Nom = Conradt
Prenom = Oliver
Institut = Section for Mathematics and Astronomy, G
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 22h27
Nom = Miller
Prenom = Gary
Institut = Rellim
Pays = USA
Domaine = Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Please do NOT do this! There are many GPS in the field that are over 20 years
old and have no chance of a firmware update. Incompatible changes to a long
established standard would lead to many problems.
Ain't broke, don't fix it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 23h07
Nom = jacobi
Prenom = freimut
Institut = schwarz.jacobi architekts bda
Pays = germany
Domaine = architekture
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 23h11
Nom = Jacobi
Prenom = Georg
Institut = BSO
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Musician
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 23h30
Nom = Dr.Pechmann
Prenom = Heidi
Institut = Arztpraxis
Pays = Deutschland
Domaine = Medizin
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=30_August_2011 , 23h43
Nom = Pechmann
Prenom = Michael
Institut = Novalisgesellschaft
Pays = 37351 Dingelstädt
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 01h23
Nom = Killian
Prenom = Gotthard
Institut = music-healing-space
Pays = Australia
Domaine = musician
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 02h30
Nom = Wright
Prenom = Frederick
Institut = Google
Pays = USA
Domaine = Software Engineering
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The effort to eliminate leap seconds seems to be the beast that won't die. At
least the Julian calendar had the excuse that it was trying to do the right
thing and merely wasn't accurate enough. Here the proposal is to knowingly
break the correspondence between the time scale and the Earth, leaving it for
future generations to clean up the mess when the error becomes sufficiently
large.
Note that very few modern computer systems have difficulty with the much larger
one-hour step adjustments of the local time scale that occur as Daylight Time
goes on and off. This is not because local time has been eliminated or
redefined, but because computer systems have learned not to expect local time to
be a well-behaved time scale, while continuing to use it in appropriate
contexts.
The only reason leap seconds pose problems is that the move away from local time
didn't go quite far enough. The correct solution is to use TAI (or TAI-K) for
internal timestamps, while converting to and from UTC and/or LT as needed. This
is precisely what GPS does, including not only using TAI-K for internal
purposes, but also tracking the UTC offset and thereby making current UTC
available.
The use of UTC with leap seconds for NTP synchronization does pose a couple of
difficulties, but both can be dealt with:
1) The parties involved need to agree on the timing of leap seconds, in order to
avoid apparent glitches in the internal time scale, which should be a "smooth"
leap-free time scale.
2) The last UTC second of a day in which a leap second occurs is
ambiguous.
No room for the answers. :-)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 07h27
Nom = Vogt
Prenom = Jürgen
Institut = Freie Waldorfschule Kassel
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Teacher
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 08h10
Nom = Taylor
Prenom = David
Institut = SatSignal Software
Pays = UK
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 08h32
Nom = Ziegler
Prenom = Renatus
Institut = Verein für Krebsforschung
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = research scientist, mathematician
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 08h58
Nom = Seaton
Prenom = Daniel
Institut = Royal Observatory of Belgium
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 09h01
Nom = Hart
Prenom = Dave
Institut = ntp.org
Pays = US
Domaine = Software Developer maintaining ntpd
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Redefining technical terms is the wrong way to tackle the perceived
problem(s).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 10h01
Nom = Rang
Prenom = Matthias
Institut = Research institute at the Goetheanum
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Optics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 10h13
Nom = Nicula
Prenom = Bogdan
Institut = Royal Observatory of Belgium
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 10h29
Nom = Hobbensiefken
Prenom = Sönke
Institut = CERES
Pays = South Africa
Domaine = agriculture
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 10h37
Nom = DANIELE
Prenom = ANTONIO
Institut = ITALIAN INSTITUTE OF NAVIGATION
Pays = ITALY
Domaine = air navigation
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Thak you for having sent this questionnaire to all IAIN members.It has been a
very good and appreciable initiative.
In Italian Institute of Navigation, after wide and long discussion, we agreed
the UTC timing and TAI timing should be the same (as, it was before 1972).This
sentence from the consideration that time measuring in hours, minutes, seconds
and other fractions is a convention originally starting from measuring the
position of the Sun in relation with the Earth surface due to its rotation.
From a practical point of view, there are no reasons to maintain two different
timing scales just because of the yearly revealed difference in Earth rotation
by the strong precision of the atomic clocks.
We see the problem by a practical approach that means: which use would be done
of such a precise but different timing on respect of Earth surface positioning
to the Sun every day?
And, which kind of use may we do in the next hundred or thousand years of a
timing progressively diverging from the upper indicated position relationship
between Earth and Sun?
And also to maintain the current definition of UTC including the leap second,
always on a practice point of view, would be unsatisfactory, because it will
become without any sgnificance as the years will pass.
The space here do not permit the complete exposure of our discussions, anyway,
if you need more informations, we are ready to send them to you
anytime.
Sincerely yours
Antonio Daniele
General Secretary of
Italian Institute of Navigation
via della Scrofa, 64
00186 ROMA - ITALY
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 11h07
Nom = Dr. Rose
Prenom = Ernst
Institut = Freie Waldorfschule Graz OG
Pays = Austria
Domaine = biology; chemistry
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 12h27
Nom = Ferrandiz
Prenom = Jose M.
Institut = University of Alicante
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Earth rotation, satellite dynamics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I cannot appreciate no real advantage in changing the definition of UTC but a
lot of associated problems and riks of computation flows together with a large
overhead to prevent them.
Therefore my opinion is to keep UTC in present form. Of course new time
definitions may be introduced, but not representing an alternative of UTC in the
short term but with research purposes to avoid unuseful, costly changes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 12h30
Nom = Schmit
Prenom = Scott
Institut = N/A
Pays = United States
Domaine = Telecommunication Software development
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 12h57
Nom = Steiner
Prenom = Bernhard
Institut = Institut für Gegenwartsfragen
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 13h39
Nom = Massey (on behalf of the RAS)
Prenom = Robert
Institut = Royal Astronomical Society
Pays = United Kingdom
Domaine = Learned society
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
a. If the definition is changed, then the name of UTC should also change. While
the proposed re-definition will make only minor differences over the next few
decades, it is a major conceptual change. It would decouple UTC from Earth
rotation as represented by the UT1 timescale - and thereby break away from the
original concept of universal time introduced by the IAU in 1925. We believe
that it is poor practice to make changes that invalidate existing text books,
especially at the conceptual level. Good practice demands a name change – to
stimulate people to probe into definitions of terms.
b. Whatever is decided at the ITU-R meeting in January 2012, there needs to be
an easily accessible source of information on current and historical values of
dUT = UT1 – UTC (or whatever succeeds UTC). This is a fundamental requirement
for anyone pointing observing systems at objects away from Earth, whether
astronomers with telescopes or engineers tracking spacecraft. This information
needs to be freely and easily available to all, including the amateur
astronomical community. Until now, both amateur astronomers and professional
scientists have relied on this and if the change is implemented, future
generations should continue to have equivalent access.
c. In the UK there is also a specific political issue: the proposed
re-definition would necessitate primary legislation to change the basis of UK
legal time from GMT to the new system derived from UTC, something the British
Government has been reluctant to do in the past.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 14h45
Nom = Galvin
Prenom = James
Institut = eList eXpress
Pays = USA
Domaine = Internet networking
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
My network applications and services depend on the current UTC
definition.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 14h46
Nom = Soma
Prenom = Mitsuru
Institut = Natl. Astron. Observatory of Japan
Pays = Japan
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
We live with the Sun. If no leap seconds will be introduced, the time we use
will diverge from the ideal one which is in harmony with the apparent position
of the Sun, so in any case we will need to make some adjustment to the time in
the future. If there is no rule for the adjustment, there will be serious
confusion in the future.
When one calculates the times of past and future astronomical phenomena, such as
solar eclipses, sunrise, sunset etc., we need the value of TT-UT1 (for precise
calculations one also needs UT1-UTC, but for most cases it is not needed). If
UTC diverges from UT1, we will always need both of TT-UT1 and UT1-UTC, which
complicates such calculations, and I do not like that situation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 14h58
Nom = Parker
Prenom = Terry
Institut = KCOM
Pays = UK
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 17h07
Nom = schulthess-roozen
Prenom = marjolein
Institut = ita wegmanklinik
Pays = switserland
Domaine = medicine
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 17h52
Nom = Kirby
Prenom = John
Institut = none
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
This change could have far reaching consequences that affect public safety and
public services. Time changes will affect radio system configuration and end
user service management, geographical positioning navigational aids, computer
aided dispatch systems, SCADA systems, and event logging and recording systems.
In the event of severe solar weather, time changes could render systems such as
navigational aids inaccurate or ineffective in helping to direct the delivery of
emergency services, gaining and maintaining situational awareness, or
coordinating with multiple agencies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 20h54
Nom = Malone
Prenom = David
Institut = School of Mathematics, Trinity College D
Pays = Ireland
Domaine = Public NTP Server Operator
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
We have not experienced any difficulties during leap seconds.
Legal time in Ireland still seems to depend on GMT and consequently I think
there would be a preference here for keeping UTC close to historical definitions
of GMT.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 21h37
Nom = Cornec
Prenom = Jean-Paul
Institut = Retired
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Telecommunication
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 21h47
Nom = Drury
Prenom = Luke
Institut = Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
Pays = Ireland
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=31_August_2011 , 23h34
Nom = William
Prenom = Thompson
Institut = NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_September_2011 , 09h44
Nom = Gelinek
Prenom = Christian
Institut = N/A
Pays = Australia
Domaine = Electronics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_September_2011 , 10h45
Nom = Monstein
Prenom = Christian
Institut = ETH Zurich
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_September_2011 , 12h23
Nom = Escapa
Prenom = Alberto
Institut = University of Alicante
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_September_2011 , 12h55
Nom = Gary
Prenom = Dale
Institut = New Jersey Institute of Technology
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_September_2011 , 16h10
Nom = Dominique
Prenom = Marie
Institut = Royal Observatory of Belgium
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
I do not like the idea of having UTC increasingly diverging from UT1.
Nevertheless, leap seconds considerably complicate the processing of data that
must be accurately time-tagged. Confusion and mistakes are frequent. Although
there is no perfect solution, I think that the situation would be simpler if
time correction was applied on a deterministic date, and more rarely. I would be
in favor of a correction applied, for example, on January 01 00:00 every 10
years. Or even better, to apply them on each Feb 29.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_September_2011 , 16h16
Nom = Parenti
Prenom = Timothy
Institut = University of Pittsburgh
Pays = United States of America
Domaine = Student
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_September_2011 , 16h18
Nom = Gamby
Prenom = Emmanuel
Institut = Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
Pays = Belgium
Domaine = computer science
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
I do not like the idea of having UTC increasingly diverging from UT1, but I
think that the offset between both could be bigger than one sec. In addition,
leap seconds considerably complicate the timestamping of data. Although there is
no perfect solution, I think that the situation would be simpler if time
correction would be applied on a deterministic date: for instance, on Feb 29
every 10 years or so.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_September_2011 , 17h55
Nom = Pechmann
Prenom = Johanna
Institut = Ridterapi Novalis
Pays = Sverige
Domaine = horseback ridning
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=01_September_2011 , 22h19
Nom = Allen
Prenom = Steve
Institut = UCO/Lick Observatory
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
I appreciate the problems faced by systems which have to handle conflicting
requirements under the current implementation of leap seconds. Nevertheless, the
current problems with leap seconds are largely one of representation. A better
representation can preserve the existing and traditional meaning of UTC as civil
time while also alleviating the problems faced by software systems.
I have written a detailed description of an alternative to the draft revision of
ITU-R Rec. 460. This alternative is truly a compromise. It makes use of an
existing, deployed, and routinely-exercised mechanism. It also changes leap
seconds into a form which is easily-testable by systems and
engineers.
The description can be seen here
http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/right+gps.html
I urge that this scheme be presented for wide consideration.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=02_September_2011 , 01h14
Nom = Homeyer
Prenom = Gernot
Institut = Dr.med.
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=02_September_2011 , 03h45
Nom = Tschannen
Prenom = Ruth
Institut = Cascadia Society
Pays = Canada
Domaine = Eurythmist
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=02_September_2011 , 13h47
Nom = scott-stapleton
Prenom = graham
Institut = british sundial society
Pays = britain
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
To disconnect time keeping from the earth's rotation will be to render time an
entirely theoretical entity. To discontinue leap seconds is, in the long term,
as ill-advised as discontinuing leap days.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=02_September_2011 , 19h53
Nom = Fischer
Prenom = Gwendolyn
Institut = Christian Community
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=02_September_2011 , 20h46
Nom = Stuart
Prenom = Robin
Institut = .
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Surely the mandate of UTC is to provide a measure that is closely aligned with
the principal driver of civil activity, namely time of daylight hours and the
position of the Sun in the sky. While it may be argued that the existence of
time zones and artifical lighting make the leap second of relatively little
practical importance, at least in the near term, the drift will evetually become
unacceptable on time scales that will depend on the particular application.
Celestial navigation will likely be amongst the first disciplines to be affected
but I suspect that even casual sky watchers will find it profoundly disturbing
to know that the time of sunrise on mid-summer's day will vary over time, they
cannot reliably specify the date of earliest sunrise from their location and
that sundials can no longer be relied upon.
As scientists we seek uniform operating principals wherever possible. It may be
argued that modern life and time keeping is no longer regulated by the exact
position the Sun in the sky. But since few of us sow and reap the same arguments
apply to the Gregorian calendar. If we do away with leap seconds then we should
also revert to the Julian calendar. Of course astronomers do make use of Julian
date which is fine for the conduct of science but I think that few would
attempt to inflict it on the public at large just for their own convenience.
This is what is effectively what is being done with regard to UTC.
What a tragedy years from now when sundials no longer work and our hard won
mastery over the clockwork of the universe can no longer be demonstrated and
accessible to the common man.
Robin Stuart, D.Phil, D.Sc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=02_September_2011 , 23h01
Nom = Miguel
Prenom = Martinez-Falero del Pozo
Institut = Other
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Medical Doctor
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=03_September_2011 , 02h04
Nom = Mischanko
Prenom = Edward
Institut = None
Pays = USA
Domaine = Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=03_September_2011 , 18h29
Nom = Saltzwedel
Prenom = Gerhard
Institut = Praxis für Allgemeinmedizin
Pays = Germany
Domaine = medicin
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=04_September_2011 , 04h19
Nom = Senturia
Prenom = Philip
Institut = None
Pays = United States
Domaine = interested layperson
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=04_September_2011 , 19h26
Nom = Neuwirt
Prenom = Rudolf
Institut = Institute for Geometry; TU Graz
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Mathematics and Geometry
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=05_September_2011 , 04h37
Nom = Excoffier
Prenom = Denis
Institut = Ecole Normale Supérieure
Pays = France
Domaine = computer science
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
UTC to be defined by IERS (or equivalent) instead of radio ticks.
abs(UTC - UT1) to be kept small (like currently)
TI-TAI is fixed
UTC-TI is an integer number of (SI) seconds, 0 at time of transition (2022, see
torino/closure.pdf)
use the "right" branch in the zoneinfo database
rename the "leap second" posterior to 2022 into another name ("intercalary
second" would not be my
preferred choice)
Now a question: if transition is to occur on 2022-01-01, is the last possible
leap second
2021-12-31Z23:59:60 or 2021-12-30Z23:59:60 ?
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Date=05_September_2011 , 08h04
Nom = Kozisek
Prenom = Frantisek
Institut = National Institute of Public Health
Pays = Czech Republic
Domaine = Environmental Health
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=05_September_2011 , 09h54
Nom = VOLK
Prenom = Gerhard
Institut = LVermGeo RP, Koblenz
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=05_September_2011 , 12h46
Nom = Bos
Prenom = Mara
Institut = none
Pays = Netherlands
Domaine = religion
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=05_September_2011 , 22h34
Nom = Schmidt
Prenom = Thomas
Institut = Waldorf-School
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Teaching
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=06_September_2011 , 10h38
Nom = Arias
Prenom = Elisa Felicitas
Institut = Bureau International des Poids et Mesure
Pays = --
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics time metrology
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
UTC was defined in 1972 when UT1 which had limited ways of dissemination.
Celestial navigation and astronomical observations were the most concerned
applications.
The methods of dissemination of time, of information, the communications in the
seventies were not significantly affected by intentional unpredictable
discontinuities of UTC, and this remained the case until the advent of GNSS and
the development of the various communication networks.
Different possible ways of accessing UT1 appeared, and scientists were able to
improve the uncertainty of its prediction. Real-time predictions are calculated,
and their dissemination through different networks is possible today; even we
can think of a dissemination via satellite navigation messages.
Who is today using UTC because it represent a "unique" access to UT1? Who is
using dUT1 as regularly published by the IERS? Celestial navigation is no more
the case; astronomers can have rapid access to UT1 by its
predictions.
The leap secons represent a nuisance for the modern applications requiring time
synchronization. For avoiding the leap second, internal timescales are
constucted (case of GNSS), offset of several integral seconds. Inconsistencies
within a system using diferent references (with and without leap seconds) in
different components have an impact in security.
UTC without leap seconds will increase its offset with respect to UT1, not
significantly affecting human activities, but it will positively impact and
enhance modern applications. The IERS will increase visibility, disseminating
real-time UT1.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=07_September_2011 , 04h01
Nom = Erdi
Prenom = Jacobi
Institut = N/A
Pays = Canada
Domaine = complementary Medicine
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=07_September_2011 , 09h51
Nom = Coll
Prenom = Guillermo
Institut = Hydrographic Office
Pays = Spain
Domaine = Geodesy Nautical Chart production
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The Official Position of the Spanish Navy Hydrographic Office is to maintain the
current definition of UTC which includes leap second.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=07_September_2011 , 10h44
Nom = Dr. med. Husemann
Prenom = Armin
Institut = Eugen - Kolisko - Akademie
Pays = Deutschland
Domaine = Medicine
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The system of Husman Physiology is coordinated by several "Biorhythms" which
depended all on the Earth rotation. Earth rotation, transformed in Sun - Light -
intensity, is transfered via the eye and Melatonin - Response of the Epiphysis
in the whole System of human biorhytms. So the connex of Biorhythms in man with
Earth rotation is a result of evolution and in no concern arbitrary.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=07_September_2011 , 10h58
Nom = Kühl
Prenom = Johannes
Institut = Science Section, Goetheanum
Pays = Switzerland
Domaine = phyics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The system of human Physiology is coordinated by several "Biorhythms" which
depended all on the Earth rotation. Earth rotation, transformed in Sun - Light -
intensity, is transferred via the eye and Melatonin - Response of the Epiphysis
in the whole System of human biorhythms. So the connex of Biorhythms in man with
Earth rotation is a result of evolution and in no concern arbitrary.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=07_September_2011 , 20h36
Nom = BARLIER
Prenom = FRANCOIS
Institut = Observatoire de la Côte d'azur
Pays = FRANCE
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
Today, it is extremely easy to forecast DUT1 (Internet and space navigation and
telecommunication) . On the contrary, it will be extremely useful and more
simple to have a uniform time for dynamical studies and ephemerides in space
geodesy and space mechanics. I fully approved the position on the future status
of UTC and UT1 adopted by the Bureau des longitudes in Paris in May
2007.
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Date=08_September_2011 , 10h08
Nom = Bonnefond
Prenom = Pascal
Institut = OCA-GéoAzur
Pays = France
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Space-sciences
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=08_September_2011 , 15h49
Nom = ACHKAR
Prenom = Joseph
Institut = Observatoire de Paris
Pays = France
Domaine = Time-laboratory
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
- As a scientist involved in the Time metrolgy, I prefer that UTC be redefined
as a uniformly increasing atomic timescale without leap seconds and constantly
offset from TAI.
- The UTC system with leap seconds was essentially introduced to give access to
UT1 within the necessary approximation for astronomical navigation. This
astronomical navigation has almost completely disappeared. For scientific
applications, the use of an accuracy uniform timescale (atomic timescale) is
required.
- It is sometimes said that the present form of UTC does not present any
inconvenience and that users of continuous time are able to cope with leap
seconds without encountering major problems. The low frequency of occurrence of
leap seconds in the last few years might support this opinion. But the general
behaviour is the increase of this frequency. Due to decadal fluctuations of the
rotation of the Earth, this frequency may reach two leap seconds per year in a
few years time. This will make the probability of omitting or of making errors
non negligible.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=08_September_2011 , 22h45
Nom = McBurnett
Prenom = Neal
Institut = Boulder Community Network
Pays = US
Domaine = Systems software
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The worst approach is to redefine UTC so that the basic meaning changes (i.e. no
longer linked to rotation of the earth) without changing the name "UTC". This
would fundamentally confuse the name, require endless clarifications for the
rest of time, and be a huge waste.
For people that want a timescale without leap seconds, let them simply use TAI,
or if really necessary some variation on TAI like GPS time.
If the goal is to redefine a legal notion of time, this should be undertaken by
a different body than ITU-R, which has no remit to disassociate clock time from
solar time. E.g. the United Nations, or individual countries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=09_September_2011 , 15h07
Nom = Grob
Prenom = Herbert
Institut = Freie Waldorfschule
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Education
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=12_September_2011 , 18h13
Nom = Gambis
Prenom = Daniel
Institut = Observatoire de Paris
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The present system is a good compromise between Earth rotation and atomic time
scale. Leap seconds introductions could be a nuisance for some restricted
scientific communities but the system works well. Arguments to change are not
sufficient compared to the advantages of a coordinated UTC time scale linked to
the earth rotation.
Few problems were reported after the 2009 leap second introduction.
The issue is not only scientific, all scientists are able to adapt to any
definition of UTC. A majority of UTC users are not aware of the difference
between UT1 and UTC. If the new definition is adopted, they should.. When the
difference DUT1 increases, 30s, 10 min, 1 hour, a lot of problems will
arise..
There are too many softwares with the assumption of UTC being coordinated with
the earth rotation. The costs of change would be important. Unforeseen problems
could happen.
Why having another timescale in addition to UT (GPS) parallel to TAI without
leap seconds?
The idea of suppressing TAI and to entrust the task of deriving a new continuous
UTC by BIPM does not solve anything unless UTC be operational.
The possible adoption of a continuous time UTC time scale with the introduction
of leap hours putting off to future generations is much worst than the present
system.
The ITU does not appear to be the correct international body to change the
definition of the worldwide system of civil time.
There is no strong justification to adopt a time scale no longer related to the
rotation of the Earth. In any case, more time should be needed to evaluate the
consequences of such a change.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=12_September_2011 , 18h20
Nom = Moshuber
Prenom = Jöran
Institut = private
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Medicin
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=15_September_2011 , 11h28
Nom = Bizouard
Prenom = Christian
Institut = Observatoire de Paris
Pays = FRANCE
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Geophysics
Space-sciences
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
There is no practical requirement for changing the definition of UTC. If for
some practical issues, continous time scale is required, one has already at hand
UT GPS or TAI.
Moreover this definition appears to be recent (the 1970's) in light of the long
astronomical tradition going back to Sumerian civilisation. The current UTC
concept is the fruit of a long scientifing ripening, combining technological
progress (atomic clock) and the natural, biological rythm, founded on the
sucession of days and nights.
Changing a definition too often has the same effect as to permanently produce
new laws without fundamental reason: few people will note it, and this will
diminish its force.
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Date=15_September_2011 , 14h48
Nom = LEFEBVRE
Prenom = Pierre
Institut = None
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Not professionnally
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The proposal to remove leap seconds from UTC appears contradictory with the
definition of UTC: if UTC is not synchronized with Earth's rotation (within a 1
second accuracy), why maintain it ?
What we will be the meaning and interest of UTC in a few decades, when it will
be 34 seconds behing TAI but, say, 10 seconds ahead of UT1 ?
Should the proposal be adopted, I would recommended keeping only 2
time-scales:
- TAI (as base for civil time around the world), introducing a one-time 34
seconds shift in all clocks worldwide
- UT1 (for astronomical applications)
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Date=16_September_2011 , 00h54
Nom = Glaser
Prenom = Thorsten
Institut = MirSolutions
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Telecommunication computing
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
I have a strong preference for the current system with leap seconds
and keeping UTC an integral offset to TAI aligned with the real
earth rotation. Computing systems have coped for decades, changing
things now will introduce more new breakage than can ever be saved
by changing systems. Astronomically, it’s the only thing that
makes
any sense, too.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=16_September_2011 , 21h19
Nom = Tobin
Prenom = William
Institut = (retired from University of Canterbury)
Pays = France
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
If I was setting up UTC again, I would decouple it from the Earth's rotation,
because it has the same flaw as the French revolutionary calendar, i.e. you
cannot tell how many seconds there will be from now to the end of the decade,
just as the Revolutionary Calendar could not tell you how many dates until some
date several millennia hence.
But as presently defined, UTC is a standard, and so should not be changed
lightly. The consequences on many pieces of hardware are far from clear...for
example where UTC and UTC1 are hard-wired/programmed under the assumption that
there can never be more than 1 second between them. Further UTC is specifically
referred to in many countries' legislation.
If there is to be a redefinition, it *must certainly* be given a new name and
not called UTC. In fact, what I'd say is that we should just jump 34 seconds
and start using TAI for civil timekeeping (but I believe there is some flaw in
this because TAI is not known in real time.) So something similar to
TAI.
Finally, of course, with the spread of computer networks we are moving to a
point where it would be appropriate to abandon time zones and have everyone use
a common time wherever they are on the planet. Already this is what some of the
banks do when I pay on-line with my credit card. Any change to UTC should be
coordinated with a change to a common time everywhere on the planet.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_September_2011 , 05h57
Nom = Gerstman
Prenom = Larry
Institut = Long Beach Schools
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Sorry for my late response, but I only just found your
questionnaire.
I feel that the current system of defining UTC and adding leap seconds when
needed is ideal and accurate. Please do NOT abolish the current system which
works well and is vital to astronomical calculations throughout the world. No
other system is even adequate.
A proverb we live by, "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it."
Sincerely,
Larry Gerstman
Long Beach, NY USA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=18_September_2011 , 13h57
Nom = Citro
Prenom = Gary
Institut = Elmont U.F.S.D.
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=18_September_2011 , 14h29
Nom = Kozma
Prenom = Michael
Institut = CUNY
Pays = USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The time scale approach was tried in the past using atomic oscillation
frequencies. It quickly lost favor since it was impossible to remember the
constants. The current definition is more than adequate.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=25_September_2011 , 14h35
Nom = Dawson
Prenom = Hylton
Institut = Britsh Sundial Society
Pays = England
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Leap seconds are as crucial for synchronising clock time to the daily rotation
of the earth as leap days are for synchronising the calendar to the seasons.
Please retain the current definition of UTC and the leap second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=29_September_2011 , 20h47
Nom = Novosielski
Prenom = Gary
Institut = Fort Lee (NJ) Board of Education
Pays = US
Domaine = Education
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
I believe that the current definition, which is useful to all persons as long as
they do not require access to earth rotation time more precisely than the
nearest second, will be useful to many more people than a definition that is
permitted to drift to an undefined degree.
Those who require UT1 precision closer than one second presumably already have
access to such a standard, but changing the definition would require many more
people to arrange access to one.
UTC is currently far more widely available than UT1. It can be determined to
sub-second precision over any internet and radio sources nearly anywhere.
Changing its precision from sub-second to indeterminately sloppy is, in my view,
unwarranted.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=06_October_2011 , 11h55
Nom = Maltin.
Prenom = Michael
Institut = Navigation.
Pays = UK.
Domaine = surveying.
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The present system should remain. It is best suited for the purposes of
Navigation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=07_October_2011 , 22h26
Nom = LEFEBVRE
Prenom = Christine
Institut = None
Pays = FRANCE
Domaine = Individual
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
Personnally, I am satisfied with the current situation. I would be very
disappointed to see the Earth's rotation totally absent from the usual time
definition, after having been used by humanity for thousands of years to measure
time.
If it is decided to redefine UTC as a constant offset from TAI, it should not be
called UTC anymore:
- it will not be UT because not related to the Earth's rotation
- it will not be "Coordinated", because there will not be any coordination
anymore between an atomic time and the Earth's rotation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_October_2011 , 12h45
Nom = Vultaggio
Prenom = Mario
Institut = Italian Institute of Navigation
Pays = Italy
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
We focus our attention on the consequences of possible changes in the definition
of UTC from the navigation point of view.
Currently UTC timescale is constrained to Earth rotation, by the introduction of
leap seconds such that the difference between UTC and UT1is maintained within 1
second.
GPS is currently the most common navigation system and its timescale is related
to UTC; GPS time and UTC differ for an integer number of seconds (the leap
seconds accumulated since the GPS turn on) and the difference between GPS and
UTC(USNO) (the UTC maintained by US Naval Observatory) is continuously sent to
users. A change in the UTC definition, omitting the leap seconds correction,
would not affect directly the navigation performance with GPS; this change would
only affect the time reference of navigation, not more linked to GMT (whose UTC
is an approximation).
The main problem related to the proposed change to UTC definition is that the
output time form GPS is not related to legal timescale with consequences for all
the application based on GPS time dissemination. Similar problems are present
also in the other satellite navigation systems as GLONASS and
Galileo.
For these reasons the change to UTC is not recommended.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=13_October_2011 , 16h09
Nom = Maddocks
Prenom = William
Institut = Wilmssow Guild
Pays = UK
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
The question which is never answered is why is it necessary to mess about with
any function which works satisfactorily. The current definition of UTC and the
leap second should be retained.
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Date=18_October_2011 , 22h05
Nom = Madden
Prenom = Sean
Institut = BAE Systems
Pays = United States of America
Domaine = Geodesy
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=25_October_2011 , 07h56
Nom = Burger
Prenom = De Wet
Institut = VASTech SA
Pays = South Africa
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=28_October_2011 , 18h00
Nom = KARNEY
Prenom = Kevin
Institut = BSS
Pays = UK
Domaine = Celestial-mechanics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
We synchronise the length of the year to celestial mechanics in order to keep
the calendar in step with the seasons. Leap seconds fulfil a cultural obligation
to keep the day in line with average solar noon
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Date=01_November_2011 , 14h07
Nom = Kalie
Prenom = Kalie
Institut = hGjlmnjYrLvfO
Pays = XStXbHeWwUGcR
Domaine = PTfQUdCLhUXBDVhdAlC
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Your website has to be the elceotrnic Swiss army knife for this topic.
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Date=01_November_2011 , 17h21
Nom = Terrah
Prenom = Terrah
Institut = dTFooGssaLvyxHJDd
Pays = aHioToikwdqUkiGnhso
Domaine = bBuKxpNe
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
Appreciation for this infmoration is over 9000—thank you!
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Date=01_November_2011 , 18h59
Nom = Wednesday
Prenom = Wednesday
Institut = DXcBsymDPPbJbB
Pays = utRshXOjFRWYKwgbKom
Domaine = CLzzxCXaVfICYWkwxx
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
IJWTS wow! Why can't I think of thigns like that?
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Date=01_November_2011 , 20h25
Nom = Carlynda
Prenom = Carlynda
Institut = iLGmydQki
Pays = nvNkIJVaLGCt
Domaine = KilkUlIyiUyM
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
Comment :
What a neat article. I had no iklning.
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Date=10_November_2011 , 14h23
Nom = Petrov
Prenom = Sergey
Institut = St.Petersburg state university
Pays = Russia
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy
Geophysics
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=11_November_2011 , 21h00
Nom = Blodget
Prenom = Thomas
Institut = N/A
Pays = USA
Domaine = Citizen
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
As a citizen, I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second which includes leap second. I believe it provides fidelity with the civil
concept of a year. UTC is by definition a civil time scale.
(I would also like to point out that Bulletin C should be careful not to imply
that all leap seconds are positive. But, if there is a change to UTC, it should
only be the elimination of negative leap seconds on the basis that it confusing
to the public.)
For technical applications of time without adjustments for leap seconds there is
already an alternative: Global Positioning System (GPS) time. Given such an
alternative, there is no need to change UTC.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=09_December_2011 , 05h39
Nom = Smith
Prenom = Derek
Institut = Western Power Corporation
Pays = Australia
Domaine = Electrical Power Utility SCADA
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=14_December_2011 , 18h15
Nom = August
Prenom = Jared
Institut = Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
Pays = USA
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date=05_January_2012 , 16h53
Nom = Pornin
Prenom = Thomas
Institut = Cryptolog
Pays = France
Domaine = Telecommunication legal time-stamping
Reponse = I am not satisfied and prefer UTC redefined without leap of
second
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Date=10_January_2012 , 07h16
Nom = Poleszuk
Prenom = Guilherme
Institut = No affiliation
Pays = Brasil
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Geodesy Time-laboratory Computer
System
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
The impact of leap seconds is significant for many sectors of modern society.
Today we are experiencing a period in which the occurrence of leap seconds have
occurred in about 4 years, but it is not a rule. If the differences go to
increase and corrections occur more frequently as before, the impact will be
relevant, but may be costly for some servers that now depend on the
time-synchronized to UTC, the second level or better. The consensus is that
removing leap seconds could bring greater impacts, as well as changes or
adjustments and test code already consolidated. A proposal could be: do not
remove the characteristic of the current UTC time scale, because we are partly
dependent, but to create a new scale without leap seconds, a new scale without
ambiguity, since "two time tags can not happen two times". The transition would
be gradual. Another proposal would create a legal global timescale without
scientific purpose, however, maintained and monitored by the international
atomic standard. These are only proposals, however, overall, the issue is a
problem that should not be left for future generations (leap minutes, for
example).
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Date=20_January_2012 , 15h38
Nom = Kircheis
Prenom = David
Institut = Individual
Pays = United States of America
Domaine = Computer Science
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
As these time conventions are of human invention that merely provide a
convenient manner for communicating with each other about our perception of when
something has or will occur, we should be free to select any timescale that
meets our particular needs.
If a computer system requires a uniform timescale, just use TAI for that system
and code conversions to aid humans needing UTC. UTC is important to keep so
future human generations aren't left (literally) in the dark. Providing
notification of time adjustments further in advance (10 years, perhaps) and
improving upon the (automated) dissemination of this information should be more
than sufficient to address concerns presented by the computing community. An
argument could be made to have these adjustments (depending upon our level of
confidence in predictions) made even more often, monthly, perhaps. In this way
the time shift would be less perceptible and provided that time tables are built
out 10 years, systems engineers have plenty of time :-) to incorporate
them.
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Date=20_January_2012 , 18h00
Nom = Siebert
Prenom = Christoph
Institut = Frequentis AG
Pays = Austria
Domaine = Telecommunication network based time synchronization
Reponse = I have another preference
Comment :
It SHALL be differentiated between the mechanism time is being distributed and
the mechanism how time is being represented for display to humans.
If any, time discontinuities should be part of the local display mechanism such
as DST and TZ settings (even leap years could reside there).
The time distribution mechanism SHALL be completely without discontinuities.
This SHALL be the case including the system time of computers.
In this way clock synchronization without interruption can be achieved - i.e. no
need for resynchronization due to discontinuities.
This separation allows also to adjust for the needs in measurement equipment
(physics, astronomy, ...) with linear time and the needs which 'normal' humans
have to still get the time they are used to when looking into the
sky.
The actual question should be what time difference between celestial time and
displayed time (based on atomic time) is acceptable for 'normal' human beings
(not only today, but also in 500 years).
So the suggestion is to find a correction factor, which could be part of the
display mechanism to adjust for these differences with enough accuracy for the
next 20 to 50 years. If it turns out that this adjustment needs correction in
the long run, this factor can be adjusted again, without impacting the time
distribution mechanism.
Such a correction factor would smear out the step of one second over a complete
year (just in the dosplay mechanism). This would even adjust the displayed time
without discontinuities and therefore eradicate the leap second
completely.
Thanks for consideration!
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Date=26_January_2012 , 09h17
Nom = GOCMEN
Prenom = UFUK
Institut = HIGH SCHOOL
Pays = TURKEY---USA
Domaine = Astronomy-Astrophysics Celestial-mechanics Geodesy Geophysics
Space-sciences Telecommunication Time-laboratory drug searching
Reponse = I have no opinion or preference
Comment :
why I say no ask penny state university...usa or england
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Date=05_July_2012 , 10h19
Nom = DECAUDIN
Prenom = BENOIT
Institut = SEWAN COMMUNICATIONS
Pays = FRANCE
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
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Date=08_July_2012 , 05h27
Nom = Krueger
Prenom = Ronald
Institut = Verlag Avantgarde
Pays = Germany
Domaine = Telecommunication
Reponse = I am satisfied with the current definition of UTC with leap of
second
Comment :
UTC is oriented to human usability. Several million devices not otherwise
connected to the internet (say, alarm clocks) depend on input that confirms to
UTC.
We lived with two timescales for a long time. Distribute TAI with a protocol
like NTP, or whatever the astronomers do, and everybody can be happy. No need to
zap UTC. If programmers cannot do leap seconds they should get another job. Most
get leap years right, and they are rarer, though.
Regards, Ronald.
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