Palindrome minute puts earth in perfect symmetry

Wow! For one minute, the world will be in perfect symmetry.

In a year that reads the same backward as forward, tonight will bring 60 seconds of palindromic perfection -- at least for those who follow the Gregorian calendar.

Come today, the time, day, month and year will align: 8:02 p.m., Feb. 20, 2002.

Write that in military time and with numerals for the month of February and it works out to: 20:02, 02/20, 2002. In European style for the day and month it's just as balanced: 20:02, 20/02, 2002.

"A mirror day like this is a good opportunity for reflecting," said Mark Saltveit, editor of The Palindromist magazine. He is devoted to palindromes of all sorts -- strings of numbers, words or sentences that read the same backward or forward.

The rare moment is drawing its share of attention: Saltveit, a standup comedian, said he already has three radio interviews lined up with European stations.