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Posted

And I mean PRECISELY !!!! I know the calculation 60 * 60 * 24 * 365.25 but I was looking for a scientifically accurate answer as to exactly how many seconds it takes the earth to make one orbit of the sun, and not something filtered through an inacurate time calander. Any answers gratefully received ......

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Definition of a year:

 

vernal equinox to vernal equinox (apparent)

also astronomical year

natural year

equinoctial year

solar year

tropical year

365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds

 

fixed star to same position (apparent)

also sidereal year

365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, 9 seconds

 

Sources you might be able to verify:

Hewlett-Packard 28S calculator: 31556925.9747 seconds/year

Google calculator: 31556926 seconds/year

 

Trivia:

Because of the difference in time between a sidereal and a solar year, nobody that is alive today was really born under the zodiac sign that they are given. For example, Aries isn’t behind the Sun between March 21st and April 21st.

 

Posted

Originally posted by: jughead

Definition of a year:

 

 

 

vernal equinox to vernal equinox (apparent)

 

also astronomical year

 

natural year

 

equinoctial year

 

solar year

 

tropical year

 

365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds

 

 

 

 

You are a star !!!! (excuse the pun)

 

Just to clarify - the above is the exact time for all 5 of those years ?

Posted

It is the correct value to the nearest second. It's not exact. There is precision involved.

 

Here is a link so that you can verify the time interval:

Columbia Encyclopedia: tropical year

 

Here is a link that shows four of the five names that I gave as being the same thing (the other one also refers to the same thing):

Definition of a year

 

Here is the most precise value for a solar year that I know of: 31,556,925.97474 seconds.

Add 1223 seconds for a sidereal year.

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Again - thanks for the links. If I wanted to work out how long it took the exact centre of the earth to do one complete an orbit, would taking an average of the sideral and solar years accomplish this ? Also , and this may seem like a bit of a quack question, is there a mathematical relationship between the time it takes the earth to orbit the sun and the time it takes other planets to orbit the sun ? Also theoretically would it be possible to invent a more accurate calender based on what we know now ? Perhaps the values and quantities of seconds minutes and hours could also be reassesed ? Just some vague musings.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

there are 12 seconds in a year: January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd, April 2nd, May 2nd, June 2nd, July 2nd, August 2nd, September 2nd, October 2nd, November 2nd and December 2nd.

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