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Dave Weilacher wrote:
>
> Anyone got concise definitions of various "time"s
> and formulas for converting from/to.
>
> For example:
> Zulu time
> UCT
> UTC
> Zone Time
> Watch time
> Ship's time
> etc.
>
> How about local apparent noon
> Meridian passage of sun
> ....


TAI = International Atomic Time, a strictly uniform time scale,
      based on atomic clocks. Unit is the SI second.

UT  = Universal time, based on the rotation of the Earth and
      therefore irregular. Important for us, however, since
      day and night comply with UT. Unit is the mean solar
      day.

UTC = A practical compromise between TAI and UT. Unit is the
      SI second, so the rate of UTC is strictly predictable
      (in contrast to UT). Occasional leap seconds assure
      that it doesn't get out of step with day and night
      (which TAI does slowly but surely)

Meridian Passage of the Sun = the moment when the sun is
                              exactly due south.

True Solar Day = the period of time between two meridian passages
                 of the sun. Not a uniform measure of time
                 because in the course of a year some true solar
                 days are longer, some are shorter ("equation of
                 time"). Can be observed directly.

Mean Solar Day = the period of time between two meridian passages
                 of the sun, with the effect of the equation of time
                 averaged out over one year. Can not be observed
                 directly, must be taken from appropriately
                 regulated clocks.


Local True Solar Time = is noon whenever the sun crosses the meridian
                        as seen from your current location.  At the same
                        instant, locations at different geographical
                        longitudes have differnt LTSTs.

Local Mean Solar Time = a succession of Mean Solar Days so that noon LMST
                        is _on average_ when the sun crosses the meridian.
                        (that is, LTST is always a bit faster or slower
                        than LMST, but they agree on average).
                        At the same instant, locations at different
                        geographical longitudes also have different
                        LMSTs.


Local times are different at different longitudes. Zone times are the
local time at a specific reference longitude, adopted by all people who live
in the vicinity of the reference meridian. Therefore, different locations at
different longitudes but within the same zone have the same time.
If you live to the east of the reference meridian, zone time noon will be later
than your local meridian passage of the sun; if you live to the west of the
reference meridian, zone time noon will be earlier than your local meridian
passage.

ZULU is the zone for the reference meridian "zero longitude" and has by
definition UTC as time scale. All other zones differ by an integer number
of hours (some exotic zones by half-integer hours).

Therefore ZULU and UTC are the same, and they are practically the same as
the antiquated and now obsolete "Greenwich time".
The difference between UTC and Greenwich time is that UTC is based on
atomic clocks while Greenwich time was based on the rotation of the Earth,
with some corrections applied.

--
  -------------------------------------------------------------------
  Thomas Schmidt                  e-mail:     schmidt@hoki.ibp.fhg.de

   

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