XN000022-1995-12-22 — Page 14

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13.

Leap second adjustment on New Year's Day

At 8 am on January 1, 1996 (Monday), the usual six-pip time signals from the Royal Observatory will not be broadcast by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). It will resume at 8.30 am or 9 am depending on the radio channel.

This is to enable an adjustment to be made which will result in a delay of one second to the time scale now in use - Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC). The Hong Kong standard time which is eight hours ahead of UTC will hence be retarded by one second as well.

The adjustment is needed to better match UTC with astronomical time. It has been internationally agreed that an adjustment of one second (a leap second) should be applied from time to time so that UTC will not differ from astronomical time by more than nine-tenths of a second. The last adjustment was made on July 1, 1994.

The Royal Observatory maintains the Hong Kong time standard and since 1980, operates a high precision atomic clock for this purpose.

Members of the public who wish to carry out time checks can either listen to the time signals broadcast by RTHK or call the Royal Observatory on 2926 8472.

End

A feast for the eyes of nature lovers

Nature lovers need not go into the wilderness to appreciate their favourite things when the Ninth North District Flower, Bird, Insect and Fish (FBIF) Show opens tomorrow (Saturday) at Fanling Recreation Playground.

Arguably the most ambitious display of natural exhibits in Hong Kong, the show is the successor to the annual flower show in New Territories (North) which dated back to 1977 and substantially expanded in 1987 to include exhibits of birds, insects and fishes.

The Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten; Mrs Patten; the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries Dr Lawrence Lee; the Director of Regional Services, Mr Adolf Hsu; the Chairman of the FBIF Show, Mr Liu Chun-kui; the Deputy Director of Home Affairs, Mr Lee Lap-sun; the Chairman of North District Board, Mr Tang Kwok-yung; the North District Officer, Mr Tommy Yuen; and other community leaders will jointly officiate at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to take place at 11 am.