Misplaced Pages

Greenwich Mean Time: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 19:33, 22 August 2011 edit199.184.105.125 (talk) →Discrepancies between legal GMT and geographical GMT← Previous edit Latest revision as of 00:32, 17 December 2024 edit undoCurryTime7-24 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users20,694 editsm Reverted 1 edit by 100.10.82.69 (talk) to last revision by AJRossetto9953Tags: Twinkle Undo 
(957 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Time zone of Western Europe, same as WET}}
{{Redirect|GMT}} {{Redirect|GMT}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{redirect|Greenwich Time}}
{{Use British English | date=July 2014}}
{{Distinguish|Coordinated Universal Time}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{pp-move-indef|small=yes}}

{{Infobox time zone
|caption = This is the zone marked '0' in the middle of the map, coloured green.
|initials = GMT
|display observance = Yes
}}

{{Time zones of Europe}} {{Time zones of Europe}}
{{Time zones of Africa}} {{Time zones of Africa}}
'''Greenwich Mean Time''' ('''GMT''') is the ] at the ] in ], ], counted from ]. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from ];<ref>{{cite web |title=Time scales |url=https://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/timescales.html#GMT |website=UCO Lick |access-date=28 July 2018}}</ref> as a consequence, it cannot be used to specify a particular time unless a context is given. The term "GMT" is also used as ] for the ] ] and,<ref name=RMG>{{cite web |title=What is Greenwich Mean Time? | publisher = ] |date=2021 | access-date=28 October 2021 |url=https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/greenwich-mean-time-gmt |at=What does GMT stand for?}}</ref> in UK law, is the basis for ] in the United Kingdom.<ref name=IA1978/>{{efn|] is defined in law as being one hour in advance of Greenwich Mean Time.}}
] with standard measurements]]
'''Greenwich Mean Time''' ('''GMT''') is a term originally referring to ] at the ] in ], ]. It is arguably the same as ] (UTC) and when this is viewed as a ] the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the ], such as the ],<ref> Note that all broadcasters now transmit atomic time signals.</ref> the ], the ] and others.


Because of Earth's uneven ] in its ] and its ], noon (12:00:00) GMT is rarely the exact moment the Sun crosses the ]{{efn|The 'Prime Meridian', 0°, was ] as being the ] but is now the "]": they are not quite the same.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is the Prime Meridian and why is it in Greenwich? |url=https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/what-prime-meridian-why-it-greenwich |website=Royal Museums Greeenwich |access-date=13 December 2021 |quote=The IRM is the only meridian that may now be described as the prime meridian of the world, as it defines 0° longitude by international agreement. The IRM passes 102.5 metres to the east of the historic Prime Meridian of the World at the latitude of the Airy Transit Circle here. The entire Observatory and the historic Prime Meridian now lie to the west of the true prime meridian. }}</ref> }} and reaches its highest point in the sky there. This event may occur up to 16 minutes before or after noon GMT, a discrepancy described by the ]. Noon GMT is the annual average (the ]) moment of this event, which accounts for the word "mean" in "Greenwich Mean Time".{{efn|There is no such thing as the "Greenwich Mean".}}
Before the introduction of UTC on 1 January 1972 Greenwich Mean Time (also known as ]) was the same as ] (UT) which is a standard astronomical concept used in many technical fields. Astronomers no longer use the term "Greenwich Mean Time".


Originally, astronomers considered a GMT day to start at noon,{{efn|Astronomers preferred the old convention to simplify their observational data, so that each night was logged under a single calendar date.}} while for almost everyone else it started at midnight. To avoid confusion, the name ] was introduced in 1928 to denote GMT as counted from midnight.{{sfn|McCarthy|Seidelmann|2009|page=17}}<ref>{{cite web | title=UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) | website=Greenwich Mean Time| access-date=12 May 2023| url=https://greenwichmeantime.com/articles/history/utc/}}</ref> Today, Universal Time usually refers to ] (UTC) or UT1;<ref name="AAO-UT">{{cite web |title= Astronomical Almanac Online |at= "Glossary" s.v. Universal Time |year= 2020 |url= https://asa.hmnao.com/SecM/Glossary.html#ut |publisher= Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office |access-date= 27 February 2021 |archive-date= 23 February 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220223151156/http://asa.hmnao.com/SecM/Glossary.html#ut |url-status= dead }}</ref> English speakers often use GMT as a synonym for UTC.<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Coordinated_Universal_Time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614012007/https://www.lexico.com/definition/coordinated_universal_time |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 June 2020 |title=Coordinated Universal Time |dictionary=] UK English Dictionary |publisher=]}}</ref> For navigation, it is considered equivalent to ] (the modern form of mean solar time at 0° longitude); but this meaning can differ from UTC by up to 0.9{{nbsp}}s. The term "GMT" should thus not be used for purposes that require precision.{{sfn|Hilton|McCarthy|2013|pages=231–232}}
In the United Kingdom, GMT is the official time only during winter; during summer ] is used. GMT is the same as ].<ref>Legal time in the UK is still "Greenwich mean time" (without capitalisation), according to the Interpretation Act 1978 (with an exception made for those periods when the Summer Time Act 1972 orders an hour's shift for daylight saving), see also the ]. Mean time at Greenwich was the prototype of Universal Time, as from the late 19th century, see the terms of the ]. ] is a form of UT equalized for polar motion. The widely used time signals based on UTC are kept within 0.9 seconds of UT1, see ]). UTC+0 is explained elsewhere in this article (links from map caption) as equal to Western European Time (WET).</ref>


The term "GMT" is especially used by institutional bodies within the ], such as the ], the ], and the ]; and others particularly in Arab countries, such as the ] and ].
Noon Greenwich Mean Time is not necessarily the moment when the noon ] crosses the ] (and reaches its highest point in the sky at Greenwich) because of Earth's uneven speed in its elliptic ] and its ]. This event may be up to 16 minutes away from noon GMT (a discrepancy known as the ]). The fictitious mean sun is the annual average of this nonuniform motion of the true Sun, necessitating the inclusion of ''mean'' in Greenwich Mean Time.


== History ==
Historically the term GMT has been used with two different conventions, sometimes numbering hours starting at midnight and sometimes starting at noon. The more specific terms UT and UTC do not share this ambiguity, always referring to midnight as zero hours.


==History==
{{Main|History of longitude}} {{Main|History of longitude}}
As the United Kingdom grew into an advanced ], British mariners kept at least one ] on GMT in order to calculate their ] from the ], which was by convention considered to have longitude zero degrees (this convention was internationally adopted in the ] of 1884). Note that the synchronization of the ] on GMT did not affect shipboard time itself, which was still solar time. But this practice, combined with mariners from other nations drawing from ]'s method of ]s based on observations at Greenwich, eventually led to GMT being used worldwide as a reference time independent of location. Most time zones were based upon this reference as a number of hours and half-hours "ahead of GMT" or "behind GMT".


] at the gates of the ] is permanently kept on Greenwich Mean Time.]]
Greenwich Mean Time was adopted across the island of ] by the ] in 1847, and by almost all railway companies by the following year, from which the term ] is derived. It was gradually adopted for other purposes, but a ] in 1858 held "]" to be the official time. This changed in 1880, when GMT was legally adopted throughout the island of Great Britain. GMT was adopted on the ] in 1883, ] in 1898 and ] in 1913. Ireland adopted Greenwich Mean Time in 1916, supplanting ].<ref name="Myers">Myers (2007).</ref> Hourly ]s from Greenwich Observatory were first broadcast on 5 February 1924, rendering the ] at the observatory obsolete in the process.


As the ] developed into an advanced ], British mariners kept at least one ] on GMT to calculate their ] from the Greenwich meridian,{{efn|For explanation, see ] but simplistically, there is a 15° difference of longitude for each hour that the time of local noon differs from Greenwich noon.}} which was considered to have longitude zero degrees, by a convention adopted in the ] of 1884. Synchronisation of the chronometer on GMT did not affect shipboard time, which was still solar time. But this practice, combined with mariners from other nations drawing from ]'s method of ]s based on observations at Greenwich, led to GMT being used worldwide as a standard time independent of location. Most ]s were based upon GMT, as an offset of a number of hours (and occasionally half or quarter hours) "ahead of GMT" or "behind GMT".
The daily rotation of the Earth is somewhat irregular (see ]) and is slowing down slightly; ]s constitute a much more stable timebase. On 1 January 1972, GMT was replaced as the international time reference by ], maintained by an ensemble of atomic clocks around the world. ], a term introduced in 1928, initially represented mean time at Greenwich determined in the traditional way to accord with the originally-defined ]; then from 1 January 1956 (as decided by the ] at Dublin, 1955, at the initiative of ]) this 'raw' form of UT was re-labeled UT0 and effectively superseded by refined forms ] (UT0 equalized for the effects of polar wandering<ref></ref>) and UT2 (UT1 further equalized for annual seasonal variations in earth rotation rate). ]s are nowadays added to or subtracted from UTC to keep it within 0.9 seconds of UT1.


Greenwich Mean Time was adopted across the island of ] by the ] in 1847 and by almost all railway companies by the following year, from which the term '']'' is derived. It was gradually adopted for other purposes, but a legal case in 1858 held "]" to be the official time.{{sfn|Howse|1997|page=114}} On 14 May 1880, a letter signed by "Clerk to Justices" appeared in ''The Times'', stating that "Greenwich time is now kept almost throughout England, but it appears that Greenwich time is not legal time. For example, our polling booths were opened, say, at 8 13 and closed at 4 13 p.m."<ref>CLERK TO JUSTICES. . Times, London, England, 14 May 1880: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 August 2015.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Bartky |first=Ian R. |date=2007 |title=One Time Fits All: The Campaigns for Global Uniformity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rC6sAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Central+european+time%22+German+1893&pg=PA126 |publisher=Stanford University Press |page=134 |isbn=978-0804756426 |access-date=18 August 2015}}</ref> This was changed later in 1880, when Greenwich Mean Time was legally adopted throughout the island of Great Britain. GMT was adopted in the ] in 1883, in ] in 1898 and in ] in 1913. ] adopted GMT in 1916, supplanting ].{{sfn|Myers|2007}} Hourly ]s from Greenwich Observatory were first broadcast by ] on 5 February 1924 at 17:30:00 UTC,<ref>{{cite news |title=Greenwich Time by Wireless— New Scheme Today |work=Liverpool Daily Post |date=5 February 1924 |page=6 |quote=the last four seconds of the preceding minute will be heard as 'clicks' when the signal is about to be given, representing the 55th, 56th, 57th, 58th and 59th second, and the final click, which will be a little louder than the others}}</ref> rendering the ] at the observatory redundant.<ref>{{cite dictionary |entry=Greenwich Time Signal |title=Historical Dictionary of British Radio |first= Sean |last=Street |publisher=Scarecrow Press |date=2015 |page=156}}</ref>
<blockquote>Indeed, even the Greenwich meridian itself is not quite what it used to be—defined by 'the centre of the transit instrument at the Observatory at Greenwich'. Although that instrument still survives in working order, it is no longer in use and now the meridian of origin of the world's longitude and time is not strictly defined in material form but from a statistical solution resulting from observations of all time-determination stations which the BIPM takes into account when co-ordinating the world's time signals. Nevertheless, the line in the old observatory's courtyard today differs no more than a few metres from that imaginary line which is now the Prime Meridian of the world."<ref>Howse 1997, p. 178</ref></blockquote>

The daily rotation of the Earth is irregular (see ]) and has a slowing trend; therefore ]s constitute a much more stable timebase. On 1 January 1972, GMT as the international civil time standard was superseded by ], maintained by an ensemble of atomic clocks around the world. ], a term introduced in 1928, initially represented mean time at Greenwich determined in the traditional way to accord with the originally defined ]; from 1 January 1956 (as decided by the ] in ] in 1955, at the initiative of ]) this "raw" form of UT was re-labelled ''UT0'' and effectively superseded by refined forms UT1 (UT0 equalised for the effects of ])<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.iers.org/IERS/EN/Science/EarthRotation/UT1LOD.html |title=Universal Time (UT1) and Length of Day (LOD) |access-date=3 May 2024 |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405030706/https://www.iers.org/IERS/EN/Science/EarthRotation/UT1LOD.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and UT2 (UT1 further equalised for annual seasonal variations in Earth rotation rate).

{{Blockquote|Indeed, even the Greenwich meridian itself is not quite what it used to be—defined by "the centre of the transit instrument at the Observatory at Greenwich". Although that instrument still survives in working order, it is no longer in use and now the meridian of origin of the world's longitude and time is not strictly defined in material form but from a statistical solution resulting from observations of all time-determination stations which the ] takes into account when co-ordinating the world's time signals. Nevertheless, the line in the old observatory's courtyard today differs no more than a few metres from that imaginary line which is now the prime meridian of the world. | Howse, D. (1997). ''Greenwich time and the longitude''. London: Philip Wilson. | }}


== Ambiguity in the definition of GMT == == Ambiguity in the definition of GMT ==
Historically the term GMT has been used with two different conventions for numbering hours. The long-standing astronomical convention dating from the work of ], was to refer to ] as zero hours (see ]). This contrasted with the civil convention of referring to ] as zero hours dating from the Romans. The latter convention was adopted on and after 1 January 1925 for astronomical purposes as well, resulting in a discontinuity of 12 hours, or half a day earlier. The instant that was designated December 31.5 GMT in 1924 almanacs became January 1.0 GMT in 1925 almanacs. The term Greenwich Mean Astronomical Time (GMAT) was introduced to unambiguously refer to the previous noon-based astronomical convention for GMT.<ref>{{cite book
| title = Astronomical Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac
| publisher = University Science Books
| year = 1992
| isbn = 0-935702-68-7
| page = 76
}}</ref> The more specific terms UT and UTC do not share this ambiguity, always referring to midnight as zero hours.


Historically, GMT has been used with two different conventions for numbering hours. The long-standing astronomical convention, dating from the work of ], was to refer to noon as zero hours (see ]). This contrasted with the civil convention of referring to midnight as zero hours dating from the ]. The latter convention was adopted on and after 1 January 1925 for astronomical purposes, resulting in a discontinuity of 12 hours, or half a day. The instant that was designated as "December 31.5 GMT" in 1924 almanacs became "January 1.0 GMT" in 1925 almanacs. The term ''Greenwich Mean Astronomical Time'' (''GMAT'') was introduced to unambiguously refer to the previous noon-based astronomical convention for GMT.<ref>{{cite book
==Greenwich Mean Time in legislation==
| title = Astronomical Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac
Several countries throughout the world legislatively define their local time by explicit reference to Greenwich Mean Time.<ref name="AMANO">Dumortier, Hannelore, & Loncke (n.d.)</ref><ref name="Seago">Seago & Seidelmann (c. 2001)</ref> Some examples are:
| publisher = University Science Books
* United Kingdom: The Interpretation Act 1978, section 9 &mdash; provides that whenever an expression of time occurs in an Act, the time referred to shall (unless otherwise specifically stated) be held to be Greenwich mean time. Under subsection 23(3), the same rule applies to deeds and other instruments.<ref name="Myers" /><ref>Interpretation Act 1978</ref>
| year = 1992
* Belgium: Decrees of 1946 and 1947 set legal time as one hour ahead of GMT.<ref name="AMANO"/>
| isbn = 0-935702-68-7
* Republic of Ireland: Standard Time (Amendment) Act, 1971, section 1,<ref>Standard Time (Amendment) Act, 1971 (Ireland)</ref> and Interpretation Act 2005, section 18(i).<ref>Interpretation Act 2005, part iv sec. 18</ref>
| page = 76
* Canada: Interpretation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-21, section 35(1).<ref>Interpretation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-21 -- this refers to 'standard time' for the several provinces, defining each in relation to 'Greenwich time', but does not use the expression 'Greenwich mean time'.</ref>
}}</ref> The more specific terms ''UT'' and ''UTC'' do not share this ambiguity, always referring to midnight as ''zero hours''.


== GMT in legislation ==
==Time zone==
Those countries marked in dark blue on the map above use ] and advance their clock one hour in summer. In the United Kingdom, this is known as ] (BST); in the Republic of Ireland it is called Irish Standard Time (IST)<ref>Standard Time Act, 1968.</ref> — officially changing to GMT in winter. Those countries marked in light blue keep their clocks on UTC/GMT/WET year round.


=== United Kingdom ===
==Discrepancies between legal GMT and geographical GMT==
Since legal, political, and economic in addition to purely physical or geographical criteria are used in the drawing of time zones, it follows that actual time zones do not precisely adhere to meridian lines. The 'GMT' time zone, were it drawn by purely ], would consist of exactly the area between meridians 7°30'W and 7°30'E. As a result, there are European locales that despite lying in an area with a 'physical' UTC time, actually use another time zone (] in particular); contrariwise, there are European areas that use UTC, even though their 'physical' time zone is ] (e.g., most of ]), or even UTC&minus;2 (the westernmost part of ]). Actually, because the UTC time zone in Europe is 'shifted' to the west, ] in ], ], ] at only 1°45'E is the easternmost settlement in Europe in which UTC is applied. Following is a list of the 'incongruencies':


Legally, the civil time used in the UK is called "Greenwich mean time" (without capitalisation), with an exception made for those periods when the ] orders an hour's shift for daylight saving. The ], section 9, provides that whenever an expression of time occurs in any Act, the time referred to shall (unless otherwise specifically stated) be held to be Greenwich mean time.<ref name=IA1978>{{Cite legislation UK |type=act |year= 1978|chapter=30 |act=Interpretation Act 1978 |section=9 |date=20 July 1978 |accessdate=30 October 2021 }}</ref> Under subsection 23, the same rule applies to deeds and other instruments.{{sfn|Myers|2007}}
;Countries (or parts thereof) west of 22°30'W ('physical' UTC&minus;2) that use UTC
* The westernmost part of Iceland, incl. the northwest peninsula and its main town of ], which is west of 22°30'W, uses UTC. ], Iceland is the westernmost point in which UTC is applied.


During the experiment of 1968 to 1971, when the British Isles did not revert to Greenwich Mean Time during the winter, the all-year ] was called ''British Standard Time'' (''BST'').
;Countries (or parts thereof) west of 7°30'W ('physical' UTC&minus;1) that use UTC
* ] (])
* Most of ], incl. ], ], ], ], and ]. (Only the easternmost part, incl. cities such as ] and ], lies east of 7°30'W.). Portugal has since the ] (1386, world's oldest diplomatic alliance) always had close ties to Britain, which possibly explains its choice of UTC. The ], even further to the west, also employ UTC. A more likely explanation is that during the mid-1970s, when Portugal was on Central European Time all year round, it did not begin to get light in Lisbon in winter until 8.30&nbsp;A.M.
* Western part of ], incl. the cities of ], ], and ]. If uninhabited islands or rocks, or both, are to be taken into account then ] (Disputed island), at 13°41'W, should also be included.
* Westernmost tip of ], incl. the capital of ], ]
* Extreme westerly portion of the ], west of ]; for instance, ], an inhabited island in the ] and the westernmost settlement in the whole of ], lies at 7°54'W. If ]s or rocks, or both, are to be taken into account then ], west of the ], at 8°58'W, and ] (Disputed island), at 13°41'W, should also be included.
* Westernmost island of the ] (autonomous region of the ]), ]
* ], including ]


In the UK, UTC+00:00 is disseminated to the general public in winter and ] in summer.{{sfn|McCarthy|Seidelmann|2009|page=17}}{{sfn|Howse|1997|page=157}}
;Countries (mostly) between meridians 7°30'W and 7°30'E ('physical' UTC) that use UTC+1
] in ].]]
* ] (except for the ] which use UTC). Parts of ] in fact lie west of 7°30'W ('physical' UTC&minus;1), whereas there is no Spanish territory east of 7°30'E ('physical' UTC+1). Spain's time is the direct result of ]'s Presidential Order (published in ] of 8 March 1940)<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.boe.es/g/es/bases_datos/tifs.php?coleccion=gazeta&ref=1940/02362&anyo=1940&nbo=68&lim=A&pub=BOE&pco=1675&pfi=1676 |title=BOE Orden sobre adelanto de la hora legal en 60 minutos |accessdate=2 December 2008 }}</ref> abandoning Greenwich UTC time in favour of UTC+1 effective 23:00 16 March 1940. This is indeed an excellent example of the aforementioned political criteria used in the drawing of time zones: the time change was passed "in consideration of the convenience from the national time marching in step according to that of other European countries".<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.boe.es/datos/imagenes/BOE/1940/068/A01675.tif |title=B.O.E. #68 03/08/1940 p.1675 |accessdate=2 December 2008 }}</ref><ref name="BOE68p1676">{{Cite web| url=http://www.boe.es/datos/imagenes/BOE/1940/068/A01676.tif |title=B.O.E. #68 03/08/1940 p.1676 |accessdate=2 December 2008 }}</ref> The Presidential Order, most likely enacted to be in synchrony with allies ] and ], included in its 5th article a provision for its future phase out<ref name="BOE68p1676"/> which never took place. Due to this political decision Spain is two hours ahead of its ] during the summer (one hour ahead in winter), which possibly explains the notoriously late schedule for which the country is known.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://horariosenespana.com/publicaciones/espana-en-hora/habitos-y-horarios-espanoles.php#siete |title=Hábitos y horarios españoles |accessdate=27 November 2008 }}</ref> However, in Portugal, which is a mere one hour behind Spain, the timetable is quite different.
* Most of ], including the cities of ], ] and ]. Only small parts of ], ] and ] are east of 7°30'E ('physical' UTC+1).
* ]
* ]
* ]


BBC radio stations broadcast the "six pips" of the ]. It is named from its original generation at the ]. If announced (such as near the start of summer time or of winter time), announcers on domestic channels declare the time as ''GMT'' or ''BST'' as appropriate. As the BBC World Service is broadcast to all time zones, the announcers use the term "Greenwich Mean Time" consistently throughout the year.
==See also==

* ]&nbsp;&mdash; 24-hour wristwatch
=== Other countries ===
* ]

* ]&nbsp;&mdash; synchronised with GMT, and used by ships to calculate their longitude
Several countries define their local time by reference to Greenwich Mean Time.<ref name="AMANO">Dumortier, Hannelore, & Loncke (n.d.)</ref>{{sfn|Seago|Seidelmann|Allen|2011}} Some examples are:
* ]
*]: Decrees of 1946 and 1947 set legal time as one hour ahead of GMT.<ref name="AMANO"/>
* ]&nbsp;&mdash; alternative, decimal measure of time
* ]: "Standard Time" ({{Langx|ga|Am Caighdeánach}}) is defined as being one hour in advance of GMT.<ref name=IST>{{cite web| title= STANDARD TIME ACT, 1968; Section 1 | publisher =Government of Ireland |url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1968/act/23/enacted/en/print.html }}</ref> "Winter Time" ({{lang|ga|Am Geimhridh}}) is defined as being the same as GMT.<ref name=IWT>{{cite web| title= STANDARD TIME (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1971; Section 1 | publisher =Government of Ireland |url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1971/act/17/enacted/en/index.html }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.acts.ie/ga.act.1971.0017.1.html|title=AN tACHT UM AM CAIGHDEÁNACH (LEASÚ), 1971|first=Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas House Services Directorate Bills|last=Office|website=www.acts.ie}}</ref>
* ]
*]: Interpretation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-21, section 35(1). This refers to "standard time" for the several provinces, defining each in relation to "Greenwich time", but does not use the expression "Greenwich mean time". Several provinces, such as ] (Time Definition Act. R.S., c. 469, s. 1), have their own legislation which specifically mentions either "Greenwich Mean Time" or "Greenwich mean solar time".
*]: The term GMT is still in use when it comes to electronics such as cellular phones.{{cn|date=June 2024}}{{clarify|reason=Android phones are cell phones, so disproved straight away. Do iPhones say GMT or UTC? Something else? DECT phones maybe?|date=June 2024}} Android phones use "UTC" but keypad phones{{which|date=June 2024}} use "GMT" to define any time zone around the world.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

== Time zone ==
Greenwich Mean Time is defined in law as standard time in the following countries and areas, which also advance their clocks one hour (GMT+1) in summer.
* United Kingdom, where the summer time is called '']'' (''BST'')
* Ireland, where it is called ''Winter Time'',<ref name=IWT /> changing to Standard Time in summer.<ref name=IST />
*] (with the exception of the ])
*]
*]
], ], set to GMT]]
Greenwich Mean Time is used as standard time all year round in the following countries and areas:
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*] ]
*]
*]
*]
*]

== See also ==

* ] – "the Greenwich Time Lady", daughter of John Henry Belville, who was in the business of daily personal distribution of Greenwich Mean Time via a watch
* {{Annotated link |Coordinated Universal Time}}
* {{Annotated link |Greenwich Time Signal}}
* {{Annotated link |Marine chronometer}}
* {{Annotated link |Radio clock}}
* {{Annotated link |Royal Observatory, Greenwich}}
* {{anli|Time in Europe}}
* {{Annotated link |Time in the United Kingdom}}
* {{Annotated link |Western European Time}}
* {{Annotated link |Western European Summer Time}}
* ]


==Notes== ==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}} {{notelist}}


==References== == References ==

*Dumortier, J, Hannelore, D, & Loncke, M. (n.d.). . . Retrieved 8 July 2009.
{{Reflist}}
* Howse, D. (1997). ''Greenwich time and the longitude''. London: Philip Wilson.

*, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-21. (2005). ]. (Canadian statute)
== Sources ==
*. UK Law Statute Database. (UK statute)
{{refbegin |30em |indent=yes}}
*. ]. (Irish statute)
* {{cite web |url=http://asa.usno.navy.mil/index.html |title=Astronomical Almanac Online |date=2015 |publisher=United States Naval Observatory and Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office |access-date=7 June 2015 |archive-date=20 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420225915/http://asa.usno.navy.mil/index.html |url-status=dead }}
*Myers, J. (2007). Retrieved 4 January 2008.
* {{cite web |last1=Dumortier |first1=J |last2=Hannelore |first2=D |last3=Loncke |first3=M. |date=n.d. |title=Legal Aspects of Trusted Time services in Europe |url=http://www.e-timing.net/legal%20report%20E-timing%20ICRI%20TS.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003105251/http://www.e-timing.net/legal%20report%20E-timing%20ICRI%20TS.pdf |publisher=AMANO |access-date=8 July 2009 |archive-date=3 October 2008 }}
*Seago, J.H., & Seidelmann, P. K. (c. 2001). . Steve Allen of ] Observatories. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
* {{cite journal |last=Guinot |first=Bernard |date=August 2011 |title=Solar time, legal time, time in use |journal=Metrologia |volume=48 |number=4 |page=S181–185 |bibcode=2011Metro..48S.181G |doi=10.1088/0026-1394/48/4/S08|s2cid=121852011 }}.
*. ] News. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
* {{cite book |last1=Hilton |first1=James L |last2=McCarthy |first2=Dennis D. |author-link2=Dennis McCarthy (scientist) |date=2013 |chapter=Precession, Nutation, Polar Motion, and Earth Rotation |editor1=Sean Urban |editor2= P. Kenneth Seidelmann |title=Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac |edition= 3rd |location=Mill Valley CA |publisher=University Science Books}}
*. ''Irish Statute Book''. Office of the Attorney General. (Irish statute)
* {{cite book |title= Greenwich time and the longitude |first=Derek |last=Howse |location=London |publisher=Philip Wilson |date=1997 |isbn=9780856674686 }}
*. ]. (Irish statute)
* {{cite web |url=http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/rsc-1985-c-i-21/latest/rsc-1985-c-i-21.html |title=Interpretation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-21. |date=2005 |publisher=Parliament of Canada |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705082900/http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/rsc-1985-c-i-21/latest/rsc-1985-c-i-21.html |archive-date=5 July 2009 }} ]. (Canadian statute)
* {{cite web |title=Interpretation Act 1978 |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1978/30/contents |publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom }} (UK statute, see also ])
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2005/act/23/enacted/en/print.html |title=Interpretation Act 2005 |website=Electronic Irish Statute Book |language=en |access-date=2 January 2018 }} (])
* {{cite book |last1=McCarthy |first1=Denis D |last2=Seidelmann |first2=P. Kenneth |date=2009 |title=TIME—From Earth Rotation to Atomic Physics |location= Weinheim |publisher=Wiley-VCH |isbn=9783527407804}}
* {{cite web |last1=Myers |first1=J. |date=2007 |title=History of legal time in Britain |url=https://www.polyomino.org.uk/british-time/ |access-date=2 September 2021 }} <!-- original url redirects here. Self-published source! -->
* {{cite journal |last1=Seago |first1=J.H. |last2=Seidelmann |first2=P. K. |last3=Allen |first3=Steve |url=http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/seago.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050204162503/http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/seago.pdf |archive-date=2005-02-04 |url-status=live |title=LEGISLATIVE SPECIFICATIONS FOR COORDINATING WITH UNIVERSAL TIME |journal=American Astronomical Society Publishing |date=2011 }} <!-- original url redirects here, paper has been updated -->
* {{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/271319.stm |title=Six pip salute |date=5 February 1999 |work=BBC News |access-date=9 July 2009 }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1968/en/act/pub/0023/sec0001.html |title=Standard Time Act, 1968 |publisher=Office of the Attorney General |date=1968 }} ]
* {{cite web |url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1971/act/17/enacted/en/html |title=Standard Time (Amendment) Act, 1971 |publisher=Office of the Attorney General |date=1971 }} (Irish statute)
{{refend}}


==External links== ==External links==
<!-- Please do not add commercial links, they will be deleted -->
*
*
*
* *
* {{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8266883.stm | title=At the centre of time | last=Rodgers | first=Lucy | date=20 October 2009 | work=] | access-date=20 October 2009}}
*

*
*
*{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8266883.stm|title=At the centre of time |last=Rodgers|first=Lucy|date=20 October 2009|work=BBC News Online|publisher=BBC|accessdate=20 October 2009}}
{{Time measurement and standards}} {{Time measurement and standards}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2010}}


] ]
] ]
]
] ]
]
]

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 00:32, 17 December 2024

Time zone of Western Europe, same as WET "GMT" redirects here. For other uses, see GMT (disambiguation).

Greenwich Mean Time
Time zone
UTC offset
GMTUTC+00:00
Current time
18:07, 26 December 2024 GMT
Observance of DST
DST is observed throughout this time zone.
Time in Europe:
Light Blue Western European Time / Greenwich Mean Time (UTC)
Blue Western European Time / Greenwich Mean Time (UTC)
Western European Summer Time / British Summer Time / Irish Standard Time (UTC+1)
Red Central European Time (UTC+1)
Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)
Yellow Eastern European Time / Kaliningrad Time (UTC+2)
Ochre Eastern European Time (UTC+2)
Eastern European Summer Time (UTC+3)
Green Moscow Time / Turkey Time (UTC+3)
Turquoise Armenia Time / Azerbaijan Time / Georgia Time / Samara Time (UTC+4)
▉▉▉▉ Pale colours: Standard time observed all year
▉▉▉ Dark colours: Summer time observed
Time zones of Africa:
Light Blue Cape Verde Time (UTC−1)
Blue Greenwich Mean Time (UTC)
Red (UTC+1)
Ochre (UTC+2)
Green East Africa Time (UTC+3)
Turquoise (UTC+4)
The islands of Cape Verde and Canary Islands are to the west of the African mainland.
Mauritius and the Seychelles are to the east and north-east of Madagascar respectively.

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the local mean time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from noon; as a consequence, it cannot be used to specify a particular time unless a context is given. The term "GMT" is also used as one of the names for the time zone UTC+00:00 and, in UK law, is the basis for civil time in the United Kingdom.

Because of Earth's uneven angular velocity in its elliptical orbit and its axial tilt, noon (12:00:00) GMT is rarely the exact moment the Sun crosses the Greenwich Meridian and reaches its highest point in the sky there. This event may occur up to 16 minutes before or after noon GMT, a discrepancy described by the equation of time. Noon GMT is the annual average (the arithmetic mean) moment of this event, which accounts for the word "mean" in "Greenwich Mean Time".

Originally, astronomers considered a GMT day to start at noon, while for almost everyone else it started at midnight. To avoid confusion, the name Universal Time was introduced in 1928 to denote GMT as counted from midnight. Today, Universal Time usually refers to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or UT1; English speakers often use GMT as a synonym for UTC. For navigation, it is considered equivalent to UT1 (the modern form of mean solar time at 0° longitude); but this meaning can differ from UTC by up to 0.9 s. The term "GMT" should thus not be used for purposes that require precision.

The term "GMT" is especially used by institutional bodies within the United Kingdom, such as the BBC World Service, the Royal Navy, and the Met Office; and others particularly in Arab countries, such as the Middle East Broadcasting Centre and OSN.

History

Main article: History of longitude
The Shepherd Gate Clock at the gates of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich is permanently kept on Greenwich Mean Time.

As the United Kingdom developed into an advanced maritime nation, British mariners kept at least one chronometer on GMT to calculate their longitude from the Greenwich meridian, which was considered to have longitude zero degrees, by a convention adopted in the International Meridian Conference of 1884. Synchronisation of the chronometer on GMT did not affect shipboard time, which was still solar time. But this practice, combined with mariners from other nations drawing from Nevil Maskelyne's method of lunar distances based on observations at Greenwich, led to GMT being used worldwide as a standard time independent of location. Most time zones were based upon GMT, as an offset of a number of hours (and occasionally half or quarter hours) "ahead of GMT" or "behind GMT".

Greenwich Mean Time was adopted across the island of Great Britain by the Railway Clearing House in 1847 and by almost all railway companies by the following year, from which the term railway time is derived. It was gradually adopted for other purposes, but a legal case in 1858 held "local mean time" to be the official time. On 14 May 1880, a letter signed by "Clerk to Justices" appeared in The Times, stating that "Greenwich time is now kept almost throughout England, but it appears that Greenwich time is not legal time. For example, our polling booths were opened, say, at 8 13 and closed at 4 13 p.m." This was changed later in 1880, when Greenwich Mean Time was legally adopted throughout the island of Great Britain. GMT was adopted in the Isle of Man in 1883, in Jersey in 1898 and in Guernsey in 1913. Ireland adopted GMT in 1916, supplanting Dublin Mean Time. Hourly time signals from Greenwich Observatory were first broadcast by shortwave radio on 5 February 1924 at 17:30:00 UTC, rendering the time ball at the observatory redundant.

The daily rotation of the Earth is irregular (see ΔT) and has a slowing trend; therefore atomic clocks constitute a much more stable timebase. On 1 January 1972, GMT as the international civil time standard was superseded by Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), maintained by an ensemble of atomic clocks around the world. Universal Time (UT), a term introduced in 1928, initially represented mean time at Greenwich determined in the traditional way to accord with the originally defined universal day; from 1 January 1956 (as decided by the International Astronomical Union in Dublin in 1955, at the initiative of William Markowitz) this "raw" form of UT was re-labelled UT0 and effectively superseded by refined forms UT1 (UT0 equalised for the effects of polar wandering) and UT2 (UT1 further equalised for annual seasonal variations in Earth rotation rate).

Indeed, even the Greenwich meridian itself is not quite what it used to be—defined by "the centre of the transit instrument at the Observatory at Greenwich". Although that instrument still survives in working order, it is no longer in use and now the meridian of origin of the world's longitude and time is not strictly defined in material form but from a statistical solution resulting from observations of all time-determination stations which the BIPM takes into account when co-ordinating the world's time signals. Nevertheless, the line in the old observatory's courtyard today differs no more than a few metres from that imaginary line which is now the prime meridian of the world.

— Howse, D. (1997). Greenwich time and the longitude. London: Philip Wilson.

Ambiguity in the definition of GMT

Historically, GMT has been used with two different conventions for numbering hours. The long-standing astronomical convention, dating from the work of Ptolemy, was to refer to noon as zero hours (see Julian day). This contrasted with the civil convention of referring to midnight as zero hours dating from the Roman Empire. The latter convention was adopted on and after 1 January 1925 for astronomical purposes, resulting in a discontinuity of 12 hours, or half a day. The instant that was designated as "December 31.5 GMT" in 1924 almanacs became "January 1.0 GMT" in 1925 almanacs. The term Greenwich Mean Astronomical Time (GMAT) was introduced to unambiguously refer to the previous noon-based astronomical convention for GMT. The more specific terms UT and UTC do not share this ambiguity, always referring to midnight as zero hours.

GMT in legislation

United Kingdom

Legally, the civil time used in the UK is called "Greenwich mean time" (without capitalisation), with an exception made for those periods when the Summer Time Act 1972 orders an hour's shift for daylight saving. The Interpretation Act 1978, section 9, provides that whenever an expression of time occurs in any Act, the time referred to shall (unless otherwise specifically stated) be held to be Greenwich mean time. Under subsection 23, the same rule applies to deeds and other instruments.

During the experiment of 1968 to 1971, when the British Isles did not revert to Greenwich Mean Time during the winter, the all-year British Summer Time was called British Standard Time (BST).

In the UK, UTC+00:00 is disseminated to the general public in winter and UTC+01:00 in summer.

BBC radio stations broadcast the "six pips" of the Greenwich Time Signal. It is named from its original generation at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. If announced (such as near the start of summer time or of winter time), announcers on domestic channels declare the time as GMT or BST as appropriate. As the BBC World Service is broadcast to all time zones, the announcers use the term "Greenwich Mean Time" consistently throughout the year.

Other countries

Several countries define their local time by reference to Greenwich Mean Time. Some examples are:

  • Belgium: Decrees of 1946 and 1947 set legal time as one hour ahead of GMT.
  • Ireland: "Standard Time" (Irish: Am Caighdeánach) is defined as being one hour in advance of GMT. "Winter Time" (Am Geimhridh) is defined as being the same as GMT.
  • Canada: Interpretation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-21, section 35(1). This refers to "standard time" for the several provinces, defining each in relation to "Greenwich time", but does not use the expression "Greenwich mean time". Several provinces, such as Nova Scotia (Time Definition Act. R.S., c. 469, s. 1), have their own legislation which specifically mentions either "Greenwich Mean Time" or "Greenwich mean solar time".
  • Philippines: The term GMT is still in use when it comes to electronics such as cellular phones. Android phones use "UTC" but keypad phones use "GMT" to define any time zone around the world.

Time zone

Greenwich Mean Time is defined in law as standard time in the following countries and areas, which also advance their clocks one hour (GMT+1) in summer.

Clock in Kumasi, Ghana, set to GMT

Greenwich Mean Time is used as standard time all year round in the following countries and areas:

See also

Notes

  1. British Summer Time is defined in law as being one hour in advance of Greenwich Mean Time.
  2. The 'Prime Meridian', 0°, was originally defined as being the Greenwich meridian but is now the "IERS Reference Meridian": they are not quite the same.
  3. There is no such thing as the "Greenwich Mean".
  4. Astronomers preferred the old convention to simplify their observational data, so that each night was logged under a single calendar date.
  5. For explanation, see History of longitude#Chronometers but simplistically, there is a 15° difference of longitude for each hour that the time of local noon differs from Greenwich noon.

References

  1. "Time scales". UCO Lick. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  2. "What is Greenwich Mean Time?". Royal Museums Greenwich. 2021. What does GMT stand for?. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Interpretation Act 1978: Section 9", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 20 July 1978, 1978 c. 30 (s. 9), retrieved 30 October 2021
  4. "What is the Prime Meridian and why is it in Greenwich?". Royal Museums Greeenwich. Retrieved 13 December 2021. The IRM is the only meridian that may now be described as the prime meridian of the world, as it defines 0° longitude by international agreement. The IRM passes 102.5 metres to the east of the historic Prime Meridian of the World at the latitude of the Airy Transit Circle here. The entire Observatory and the historic Prime Meridian now lie to the west of the true prime meridian.
  5. ^ McCarthy & Seidelmann 2009, p. 17.
  6. "UTC (Universal Time Coordinated)". Greenwich Mean Time. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  7. "Astronomical Almanac Online". Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office. 2020. "Glossary" s.v. Universal Time. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  8. "Coordinated Universal Time". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020.
  9. Hilton & McCarthy 2013, pp. 231–232.
  10. Howse 1997, p. 114.
  11. CLERK TO JUSTICES. "Time, Actual And Legal". Times, London, England, 14 May 1880: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 August 2015.
  12. Bartky, Ian R. (2007). One Time Fits All: The Campaigns for Global Uniformity. Stanford University Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-0804756426. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  13. ^ Myers 2007.
  14. "Greenwich Time by Wireless— New Scheme Today". Liverpool Daily Post. 5 February 1924. p. 6. the last four seconds of the preceding minute will be heard as 'clicks' when the signal is about to be given, representing the 55th, 56th, 57th, 58th and 59th second, and the final click, which will be a little louder than the others
  15. Street, Sean (2015). "Greenwich Time Signal". Historical Dictionary of British Radio. Scarecrow Press. p. 156.
  16. "Universal Time (UT1) and Length of Day (LOD)". Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  17. Astronomical Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac. University Science Books. 1992. p. 76. ISBN 0-935702-68-7.
  18. Howse 1997, p. 157.
  19. ^ Dumortier, Hannelore, & Loncke (n.d.)
  20. Seago, Seidelmann & Allen 2011.
  21. ^ "STANDARD TIME ACT, 1968; Section 1". Government of Ireland.
  22. ^ "STANDARD TIME (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1971; Section 1". Government of Ireland.
  23. Office, Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas House Services Directorate Bills. "AN tACHT UM AM CAIGHDEÁNACH (LEASÚ), 1971". www.acts.ie.

Sources

External links

Time measurement and standards
International standards template illustration
template illustration
Obsolete standards
Time in physics
Horology
Calendar
Archaeology and geology
Astronomical chronology
Other units of time
Related topics
Categories: