VFK Leap Year Mini-Quest 2012

February 29, 2012
 March 1, 2012	
==Description==
Today is February 29th, or Leap Day! This special day, which only comes around every four years, originated with the ancient Romans. You may think that Leap Year, also called an intercalary year, occurs just like clock-work every four years, however, it has special rules governing which year can be a leap year just to keep the calendar synchronized with the astronomical year! On our quest today, let's take a brief look at the interesting history of Leap Year!<BR> 
Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and a Leap Year Pin!<BR><BR><BR>
===Prizes===
===Questions===
1. Officially, how long is a year? 
* 365.242
* 365.525
* 364.242
* 366.123<BR><BR>
2. With the addition of Leap Day, this year will have 366 days. Since the actual length of a year is 365 plus about a fourth, every fourth year needs to have an extra day which is added in at the end of February, giving the month 29 days. The basic rule for Leap Years is that they occur every four years, and in years that can be divided by four. Go to the Castle Gate in Medieval Age, and say: "Leap Day!"<BR><BR>
3. This every four year rule has one exception that makes a big difference over the centuries. The rule involves years that mark the turn of a century, like 1800 or 1900. Since years are not exactly one fourth day, but actually slightly less than a fourth, adding an extra day every four years will result in three days being added over 400 years. To compensate for this, Century years are only considered to be leap years when?
* If a volcano erupts that century year
* If no war is fought that century year
* If the century year is divisible by 400
* If the winter is unseasonably cold that century year<BR><BR>
4. Because of this, only every fourth century year is considered to be a leap year. This means that the century years: 1700, 1800, 1900 did not qualify as leap years, and the century year 2100 will also not be a leap year. However, 1600 and 2000 were leap years, as they were divisible by 400. Go to the Victorian Park in Victorian Age and say: "Happy Leap!"<BR><BR>
===Answers===
1. 365.242
2. Go to the Castle Gate in Medieval Age, and say: "Leap Day!"
3. If the century year is divisible by 400
4. Go to the Victorian Summer Park in Victorian Age and say: "Happy Leap!"
Category:Quests