Leap Day: the science behind Earth’s cosmic ballet

Leap Day, the elusive extra day added to our calendars every four years, has a fascinating history deeply rooted in our calendar system. This phenomenon, also known as an intercalary day, has captivated minds for centuries.

The concept of leap years dates back thousands of years and can be traced to the ancient Egyptians. They were the first to recognize that the solar year, the time it takes for the Earth to complete one orbit around the sun, is not exactly 365 days; in fact, it is approximately 365.2422 days.