Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site fortune.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!fortune!rpw3 From: rpw3@fortune.UUCP Newsgroups: net.mail.headers Subject: Re: GMT vs UCT - (nf) Message-ID: <2433@fortune.UUCP> Date: Sun, 5-Feb-84 04:05:48 EST Article-I.D.: fortune.2433 Posted: Sun Feb 5 04:05:48 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 08:10:00 EST Sender: notes@fortune.UUCP Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA Lines: 19 #R:hou3c:-19700:fortune:28400001:000:710 fortune!rpw3 Feb 5 00:58:00 1984 And the reason it's called "Coordinated Universal Time" is because it was coordinated by treaty a few years back. I don't remember the year, but eleven or so nations all took leap seconds (ranging from -12 to +9 as I recall - the U.S. was -7 ???) to get together. All of their clocks were absolute time (not related to astronomy) based on either cesium beam or (ammonia?). Now we all take leap seconds together ("coordinated") as needed to stay close to astro time. (A "true history" would be nice, but probably in net.physics. Somebody?) Rob Warnock UUCP: {sri-unix,amd70,hpda,harpo,ihnp4,allegra}!fortune!rpw3 DDD: (415)595-8444 USPS: Fortune Systems Corp, 101 Twin Dolphins Drive, Redwood City, CA 94065