Determining whether a year is a leap year is a straightforward process that involves examining its divisibility by specific numbers. A leap year is a year divisible by 4 but not by 100, or a year divisible by 400.
The concept of leap years arises from the need to align the calendar year with the Earth’s orbit around the sun. The Earth takes approximately 365.242 days to complete one orbit, leading to a slight discrepancy between the calendar year and the actual astronomical year. Leap years add an extra day to the calendar every four years to compensate for this difference, ensuring that the calendar remains synchronized with the Earth’s orbit.