[LEAPSECS] An example

[Tony Finch]

On 3 Nov 2010, at 01:14, Mark Calabretta <mcalabre at atnf.csiro.au> wrote:

> 

>  But Caesar, leap days carry no discernible benefit to non-

>  astronomers...


The Julian reform was not primarily about astronomical correctness. The Roman calendar at that time was under political control and it was managed with the most depraved corruption. It was varied unpredictably and without any regard to regularity in the lengths of months or of years, in order to influence when events occurred despite their fixed dates. Julius Caesar swept away this corruption by dictating a fixed predictable calendar. Note that he did not specify an observational calendar since that can be corrupted by bribery or blackmail of the responsible astronomer.

Tony.
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