What are leap seconds?

A leap second is like adding one extra second to our clock when needed, just like giving an extra minute to a game if it runs longer than expected.

Imagine you and your friends are playing a race around the block. Every day, you start at the same time, let's say 8 o'clock. But sometimes, because of how the Earth spins, you might finish the race one second later than you expect. To keep things fair, you add that extra second to your clock.

The Earth doesn't always spin at the exact same speed. Sometimes it slows down a tiny bit, like when you're tired and take longer to run around the block. This makes our day just a little longer than 24 hours. Over time, this adds up. To keep our clocks in line with the Earth's movement, we add a leap second.

Think of your watch or phone, they tick every second like a metronome. When we add a leap second, you'll see that extra second show up on your clock. It might look like the time goes from 12:00:59 to 12:00:60 before moving on to 12:01:00.

It's like giving the Earth a tiny break, and our clocks keep up with it!