Leap Year
The year 2020 is a leap year. Leap years occur every four years but there have been exceptions in the past and will be exceptions in the future too.
- What is the difference between a solar year and a calendar year?
A solar year reflects the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun. The calendar year is composed of 365 days and supposed to reflect the solar year. However, calendar year falls short of this as the earth takes 365 days and a few more hours (about 6 hours) to complete its orbit. These 6 hours over the years are accumulated to form the extra day of leap year.
- What formula is used to designate a year as leap year?
The formula currently used to designate a year as leap year is:
A year that is a multiple of 4 is a leap year. Eg: 2020.
A year ending with 00 is not a leap year. Eg: 1900.
A year ending with 00 (a ‘00’ year) but preceded by a multiple of 4 is a leap year. Eg: 2000.
- Will the year 2100 be a leap year?
2100 will not be a leap year. This is because, it is a ‘00’ year and the 00 is not preceded by a multiple of 4. Thus it is to be one of the exceptions where leap year doesn’t occur every 4 years always.
