There are 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week and 366 days in 2020.
“The Earth doesn't orbit the sun in exactly 365 days. There's a little bit extra,” said Jordan Sheely, a senior astrophysics major and science educator at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. “It's about .24 days, so just about a quarter of a day. Every year we're behind by just a little bit.”
That means people like Carolina sophomore Lauren Stiller only get to celebrate their true birthday every four years.
“Every year that passes is basically a fourth of a year for me,” Stiller said. “So, as a 19-year-old, I say, ‘I'm four and three fourths.’ So, I'll be turning 5 this year.”
On this week’s episode, hear about the little struggles and big celebrations that come with having a rare birthday and the science behind it, too.
