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