DEVELOPING: Power Outage in Colorado Sends Global Timekeeping Off by 4.8 Microseconds

Breaking News: Power Outage in Colorado Sends Global Timekeeping Off by 4.8 Microseconds A destructive windstorm in Colorado has caused a power outage at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratory in Boulder, resulting in a 4.8 microsecond delay in the country's official time. The incident occurred on Wednesday when a backup generator failed. The power outage affected the atomic clocks used by NIST to determine official U.S. time, causing a slight slowdown in timekeeping. According to NIST spokesperson Rebecca Jacobson, the lapse resulted in NIST UTC universal coordinated time being 4.8 microseconds slower than it should have been. The atomic clocks at NIST are among the most accurate timekeeping devices in the world, used to synchronize time across the globe. The laboratory is located northwest of Denver and is home to over a dozen atomic clocks. The impact of the power outage is currently being assessed, and NIST officials are working to restore the clocks to their normal functioning. It is unclear at this time how long it will take to rectify the situation. This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.