It is coordinated and universal because it is used around the world. What is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)?įor complicated reasons that have to do with the rotation of the Earth and advancements in measurements in time, scientists in the 1960s introduced a more sophisticated and precise time standard known as Coordinated Universal Time. And so on, so that there are in total 24 potential time zones around the world … although some places, like China, set their own rules. In France, 15⁰ degrees east across the channel, it is GMT+1, indicating that the standard time in France is one hour ahead of the standard time in England. The name for England’s time zone is GMT+0. In 1884, the International Meridian Conference agreed that GMT was going to be the benchmark for all time zones around the world. The first public declaration of Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT, was made in 1833. It was decided that the mean time-in other words, the time after correcting for changes in the apparent lengths of days caused by the Earth’s rotation around the sun-in Greenwich at the prime meridian was going to be the standard. Up until then, towns and regions were able to set their own time as they saw fit. The UK was in need of a standard time to keep the trains running on schedule. The prime meridian is the longitude (line stretching north to south) that is considered the anchor or central point of a map, labeled 0⁰.įast forward to the 1800s. In 1721, the Royal Observatory began to use Greenwich as the location for the UK’s prime meridian in map making and navigation systems. That’s when the Royal Observatory in Greenwich (pronounced ) was commissioned by King Charles II for the purpose of studying cartography, geography, meteorology, and related subjects (including time). To understand how we ended up with the time zones we are familiar with today, we need to go all the way back to 1675. But how were these time zones decided upon? Who declared Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)? Within a time zone, everyone has the same time. Time zones were first established in the UK and elsewhere in the mid-1800s, largely in response to new communication methods such as the telegraph, and new steam engines on trains and boats that accelerated travel. S tandard refers to the fact that it is the official time in that area. First of all, what is a time zone?Ī time zone is a geographic area, typically 15⁰ longitude wide, that shares the same standard time. Let’s synchronize our watches and cover some of the key lingo related to time zones. Amazing!īut, even though we don’t need to pay as much attention to time zones these days, that doesn’t mean they don’t still impact our lives. Another benefit of this technology? The clock on our smartphone automatically changes when we enter a new time zone. We all have clocks in our pockets-our smartphones. For example, this United States time zone map shows the six designated time zones including Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, and Hawaii-Aleutian time zones.No one truly needs a watch these days. Time zones can have names to help easily identify them. ![]() Other examples include Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Australia with unusual time zones. But the province mostly observes Atlantic Standard Time (AST). Also, there can be “irregular square” time zones similar to islands.įor example, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador contains its own time zone with the same name that is UTC -3:30. Instead, they are jagged and adapt to the political boundaries of countries. No time zone in the world runs a perfect north-south line. Whereas when you go from the west across the International Date Line, you turn your calendar ahead one day. ![]() When you cross the International Date Line moving toward the east, you turn your calendar back one day. The center of the time zone roughly follows 180° longitude without crossing any landmass. The International Date Line is a north-south line in the Pacific Ocean where you turn your calendar back or ahead one day. Whereas it would be 8 am at 60°W longitude International Date Line For example, it would be 4 pm at 60☎ longitude when it’s noon at the Prime Meridian. You can find any time by counting how many degrees longitude it is away from Greenwich. But when you head toward the left, you lose an hour (slow time). In other words, for every time zone that you move towards the right, you add one hour. When you move to the right, you gain time (fast time). Then, the next time to the east spans 7.5☎ to 22.5☎. This means the Prime Meridian time zone spans from 7.5°W to 7.5☎. The Prime Meridian ( Greenwich Meridian) defines the center of the first time zone in the world. Because the Earth rotates 360° every 24 hours, each time zone is 15° longitude apart from the other. We have 24 different time zones in the world.
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