After reading our explainer on the leap second, you’re probably wondering when the leap second will happen to you. We’re here to tell you that while there is a slight chance that things will get a little screwy, it will probably be okay in the end.
So, how do you know when the leap second happens in your time zone?
The leap second is being inserted at 23:59:59 UTC, which is Coordinated Universal Time and is the world’s universally recognized time standard. That shouldn’t be confused with GMT, Greenwich Mean Time, which is the same time, but an actual time zone. They don’t always match up, but conveniently for us, they do right now. So, the best thing to do is see what your time zone is in relation to GMT. In the case of Eastern Standard Time, which is four hours behind GMT (though it’s usually five, but on Daylight Savings Time it’s four), the leap second will happen at 19:59:59 EST, or 7:59:59 p.m. What will technically happen is that instead of going directly to 8:00:00, the clock will go to 7:59:60 first.
And the world will go all Leftovers on us and some randos will disappear. Probably not, but that’s how to figure out when the leap second happens to you.
Or you can Google it!
Source: Quartz