10 Lesser-Known Facts About Time Zones - Page 2

aspundir · 17-02-2013, 03:57 PM

1One World Time Zone

Wouldn’t it be easier to have just one time zone? China may agree. Isn’t the modern world all about streamlining and making things simpler? The single currency? The universal language? A One World Order . . . . No need to reset our watches when we land and no more jet lag. So here’s why it’s more streamlined to have several time zones. The Earth rotates 15 degrees every hour and for this reason the World is divided up into 24 x 15 degree zones making a nice 360 degree globe. Each zone sets their clocks one hour further than the preceding zone (there are exceptions—See Japan). This equates to the Sun being at its highest point in the sky, in nearly every country, at noon. We know that 9am, in any country, is liable to be light and that 10pm, in any country, is liable to be dark. You could say that you can set your watches by it. Notable exceptions to this are northern Scandinavian countries where they have daylight for 6 months and night for another 6 months.

aspundir · 17-02-2013, 03:57 PM

Smallest Time Zone

The small island of Markets Fyr in the Baltic Sea is only 300 metres by 80 metres at its furthest points. The countries of Sweden and Finland own this island, half and half. The Swedish side keeps to Swedish time and the Finnish side to Finnish time. Islands are usually prime candidates for irregular shaped time zones so that they are in the same one. Could this be the smallest example of two time zones?

17-02-2013, 03:57 PM	#11
aspundir VIP Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: churu Posts: 122,463 Rep Power: 245	Re: 10 Lesser-Known Facts About Time Zones 1One World Time Zone Wouldn’t it be easier to have just one time zone? China may agree. Isn’t the modern world all about streamlining and making things simpler? The single currency? The universal language? A One World Order . . . . No need to reset our watches when we land and no more jet lag. So here’s why it’s more streamlined to have several time zones. The Earth rotates 15 degrees every hour and for this reason the World is divided up into 24 x 15 degree zones making a nice 360 degree globe. Each zone sets their clocks one hour further than the preceding zone (there are exceptions—See Japan). This equates to the Sun being at its highest point in the sky, in nearly every country, at noon. We know that 9am, in any country, is liable to be light and that 10pm, in any country, is liable to be dark. You could say that you can set your watches by it. Notable exceptions to this are northern Scandinavian countries where they have daylight for 6 months and night for another 6 months.

17-02-2013, 03:57 PM	#12
aspundir VIP Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: churu Posts: 122,463 Rep Power: 245	Re: 10 Lesser-Known Facts About Time Zones Smallest Time Zone The small island of Markets Fyr in the Baltic Sea is only 300 metres by 80 metres at its furthest points. The countries of Sweden and Finland own this island, half and half. The Swedish side keeps to Swedish time and the Finnish side to Finnish time. Islands are usually prime candidates for irregular shaped time zones so that they are in the same one. Could this be the smallest example of two time zones?