[time-nuts] What time is it anyway?

Mike S mikes at flatsurface.com
Sat Mar 27 12:17:40 UTC 2010


At 11:31 PM 3/26/2010, Eric Fort wrote...
>What time is it?
>Why is that the correct time?
>How does one know what the correct time is?
>Is the "proper and correct" time reference codified as statue? 
>(thinking of
>the US) Where?

15 USC Sec. 261: "For the purpose of establishing the standard time of 
the United States, the territory of the United States shall be divided 
into nine zones in the manner provided in this section. Except as 
provided in section 260a(a) of this title, the standard time of the 
first zone shall be Coordinated Universal Time retarded by 4 
hours;...the term "Coordinated Universal Time" means the time scale 
maintained through the General Conference of Weights and Measures and 
interpreted or modified for the United States by the Secretary of 
Commerce in coordination with the Secretary of the Navy."

Prior to 1997, it was "based on the mean solar time of ... Greenwich," 
so older references may have it incorrect. 





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