Today is the 29th of February, “Leap Day”.
“Yes, that extra day we add every four years”, you would tend to say. But that’s only partially true…
Our planet runs around its star, but not in the most convenient way — at least for our human calendars. In the following, I will explain to you why we need that “extra day” to cope with our planet’s race and how and when it is added.
A story of Physics, estimates, and approximations.
And you will also discover that the origin of our beloved, rare 29th of February is rooted in ancient Rome and medieval papal courts.