2007-01-18 07:14:58 · 5 answers · asked by rharczo 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
it takes the Earth approximately 365 1/4 days to orbit the sun.
Since you can't really have a 1/4 day, a year was defined as 365 days, and then all the quarters are just lumped into one day every fourth year.
2007-01-18 07:19:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Every previous answer is right on the reason, but it is not every four years. It is every four years except for centennial years not divisible by four. Hence 1900 and 2100 were not leap years but 2000 was. This adjusts for the slight deviaiton from 365 1/4 days that make up a year.
2007-01-18 22:07:35 · answer #2 · answered by Zarathustra 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A leap year occurs every 4 years. It exists because the actual length of the year is close to 365.25 days long. Every four years, we need to add an extra day into the calendar to make up for the extra day that accumulates. The next leap year will be 2008. The day added is February 29th.
2007-01-18 15:20:10 · answer #3 · answered by Maverick 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leap Year is every 4th year, where an extra day is added to February. It is February 29. Leap Year exists because a normal year isn't really 365 days, it's 365-1/4 days. So every 4 years, you get an extra day.
2007-01-18 15:20:17 · answer #4 · answered by FUNdie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wrong category.
2007-01-18 15:18:31 · answer #5 · answered by Mr. NoneofYourbusiness 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋