[LEAPSECS] Cost: getting rid of GMT & discontinuing leap seconds

[Poul-Henning Kamp]

In message <481E7B03-ABEA-40A7-A8EF-B82E73C21F32 at noao.edu>, Rob Seaman writes:

>On Oct 24, 2010, at 11:12 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:



>And do either of these use cases have any connection to Earth

>orientation?


DUT1 and all other earth orientation parameters have absolutely
no applicability for these applications.


>What coherent system design process led the engineers

>to select UTC in spite of the existence of leap seconds?


Laws, governmental regulations and rules deriving their power
from UN registered treaties mandates UTC for these applications.

But let us turn the tables Rob:

Why did astronomers use UTC as timescale in their systems, where
UT1 should have been used ?

After all, they knew UTC was not a scientificaly controlled timescale,
in fact, they protested that very point when it was introduced ?

Poul-Henning

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