On 7/3/2012 1:53 PM, Owen DeLong wrote:
UTC (and the system clock) should not move backwards, but, rather they repeat second 59. UTC goes 58->59->00 most of the time, but during a leap second, it should go 58->59->59->00). It's not so much going backwards as dropping a chime.
If they do that, they're "doing it wrong", UTC and the system clock should go 58->59->60->00. From the IERS bulletin announcing the leap second just past: http://hpiers.obspm.fr/iers/bul/bulc/bulletinc.dat "A positive leap second will be introduced at the end of June 2012. The sequence of dates of the UTC second markers will be: 2012 June 30, 23h 59m 59s 2012 June 30, 23h 59m 60s 2012 July 1, 0h 0m 0s"