[LEAPSECS] Cheating means more planning, not less

[Richard B. Langley]

I think IERS Bulletin A might represent the current state of the art for predicting
Earth orientation. It is produced by USNO. Latest bulletin is here:
<http://www.iers.org/products/6/11769/orig/bulletina-xxi-052.txt>.
It provides a table of UT1-UTC values to the end of 2009. It also provides an estimated
function and its standard deviation that can be used to extend the table. How accurate
are the predictions (especially the long-term ones) really? One would have to compare
one of the historical empirical functions with actual UT1 data. Not sure if anyone has
done that recently. Perhaps Demetrios knows?
-- Richard Langley
P.S. For those wanting to refresh their memories on the details of the history of the
leap-second business, have a look at <http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/leapsec.html>.

Quoting Rob Seaman <seaman at noao.edu>:


> What exactly is the current state of the  

> art for predicting Earth orientation?  It is a shame that there are no  

> lurkers here who could answer that question.

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 Richard B. Langley                            E-mail: lang at unb.ca
 Geodetic Research Laboratory                  Web: http://www.unb.ca/GGE/
 Dept. of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering    Phone:    +1 506 453-5142
 University of New Brunswick                   Fax:      +1 506 453-4943
 Fredericton, N.B., Canada  E3B 5A3
     Fredericton?  Where's that?  See: http://www.city.fredericton.nb.ca/
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