> UNIX time is simply an indicator of where you are in relation to the event of the epoch. That is true except in the case of leap seconds, in which case UNIX

> UNIX time is simply an indicator of where you are in relation to the event of the epoch. That is true except in the case of leap seconds, in which case UNIX time is not monotonic or continuous. > Leap seconds are just our immature way of dealing with time dilation. Leap seconds have nothing to do with time dilation. TAI, on which UTC is based, is defined as the passage of proper time on Earth's geoid. This gives a stable base that is not influenced by the frame of the observer. UTC does not change based on where you observe it from. It is the same on Earth, in space, etc. regardless of your frame. None of this has anything to do with leap seconds. Leap seconds compensate for the fact that a mean solar day is slightly longer than 86,400 seconds, and can vary slightly due to irregularities in Earth's rotation. Leap seconds are added to keep UTC noon within a second of mean solar noon at the prime meridian. > You can always add or remove time as an observer to conform to whatever your view of time is in relation to that older fixed point. UTC is defined at the geoid, and everybody uses UTC seconds even though they are slightly shorter than seconds as observed by most people on Earth.