TIME MEASUREMENT

Time is measured in many ways. Of the various methods of measuring time employed for
different purposes we have to understand four, viz :
Apparent Solar Time
Local Standard Time (LST)
Standard Time
Additional Time Changes
A) Apparent Solar Time :
The movement of the apparent sun not being uniform, it is not possible for a watch to be
regulated according to this time measure with any precision.
B) Local Standard Time :
In order to enable proper measurement of time a fictious body, called mean sun, is invented and
is assumed to have a perfectly uniform motion eastward along the celestial equator and complete
a revolution in just the same time that the apparent (true) sun takes for an yearly trip along the
ecliptic (suns path). Thus all the days of the mean or assumed time are of precisely the same
length because of the uniform movement of the mean sun along the equator. The LST is the
same for all places having the same longitude.
The earth revolves 360 in one day which is divided into 24 hours or 1440 minutes. Hence a
place at a latitude 1 west of another place will see the sun rising 1440/360 1 =4 min. later
than the eastern place. A place at a latitude 1 east of another place will see the sun rising 4 min
earlier than the western place. If two places A and B are 15 apart and A is east of B, B will have
the sun rising 1440/360 15 =1 hour after B or we can say 4 min later for each degree of
difference.
This shows that LST is calculated by using the longitude of a place. It is customary to calculate
the longitude, by taking Greenwich as the place of reference. This conversion to LST has to be
clearly understood by any student of astrology.
C) Standard Time :
The Local Standard Time would be the most scientific to use, but it would lead to endless
confusion, if the railways follow different local times for different places and a traveler is forced
to set his watch back and ahead for any travel west - or eastward. The need for uniformity of
time over a considerable area was accordingly felt and at an international congress held in
Washington in 1884 the earth was divided into zones, each zone covering 15 degrees of
longitude, and a uniform time for the whole of each zone was set up, the time being the local
mean time of its central meridian. The time used in contigious zones differed by exactly one
hour.
Standard Time, therefore, is an artificial time based upon a certain definite geographical
meridian and arbitrarily chosen by a country, by law or usage, for convenience in matters
pertaining to railways and other communications, astronomical calculations and transactions of
government works etc.
All watches and clocks are accordingly set to this Standard Time which is different from the LST
of a place to the east or west of this standard meridian.
D) Additional Time Changes :
Apart from the former discussed time measurements we have to be aware of additional time
changes as :
Summer Time
War Time
Changes of the Central Meridian in a specific country
Local followed time differences.
The changes in India were as follows :
In India, each place followed its LST before Standard Time was introduced at 12 noon 1-1-
1906.
In Bengal the time followed was changed off and on :
In Calcutta, prior to Oct 1, 1941 Calcutta Time : ahead of IST by 23 min.
In the entire province of Bengal
from 1-10-1941 to 15-5-1942 Bengal Time : ahead of IST by 1 hour.
from 1-9-1942 to 1-9-1947
Since 1-9-1947 the whole of Bengal observes IST
Bihar also observed Bengal Time (ahead of IST by one hour) between 1-12-1941 and 15-5-
1947 and again between 1-9-1942 and 15-10-1045.
Upto 30-9-1951, East Pakistan observed Bengal Time for civic purposes and path Standard
Time (same as IST) for railways etc. There after it follows its own Standard Time which is
ahead of IST by exactly 30 min.
During Word War II in India the Indian Standard Time was advanced by one hour between
1-9-1942 and 15-10-1945 both calendar days inclusive.
Conversion of Standard Time to Local Mean Time :
Any time registered by a watch has to be converted to LST. To do this we have to note the
Standard Time (clock time) and the longitude of the locality. The longitude of most places in
India and many places in world can be found in the appendix, others have to be found from an
atlas.
For calculating LST two methods can be used.
Method 1 :
We need : the standard time at the specific place.
the longitude of this place.
the difference to the longitude of Greenwich (0) and if it is east or west of
Greenwich.
the difference of Standard Time to GMT (could be +or )
Remember that for each degree difference we have to add or subtract 4 min. i.e. for each second
difference (1 =60) we have to subtract 4 min./60 =4 sec.
Let us explain this with some examples.
Ex 1. Person born at Madras on 1-11-1963 at 12
15
pm.
IST is 12
15
pm.
Longitude of Madras is 8017 i.e. 80 17/60 east
This means Madras is in advance to Greenwich by (80 +17/60) 4 min. =321 min 8 sec. =5 h
21 min 8 sec.
IST is always 5 h 30 min ahead of GMT
This means 12
15
pm IST =12
15
5
30
=6
45
am GMT
To find LMT at Madras
Add 5 h 21 min 8 sec to GMT
6
45
am +5
21.8
=12
06.8
pm
LMT at Madras is 12
06.8
pm
Ex. 2 Person born at Melbourne, Australia on 1-11-1963 at 12
15
pm
Standard Time is 12
15
pm.
Longitude of Melbourne is 14459
Melbourne is in Guan Standard Time( see under Australia, Capital Territory in the Appendix)
which is 10 hours is advance to GMT.
This means 12
15
pm GST =12
15
10 =2
15
am GMT
To find LMT at Melbourne :
146 4 min 4 sec =579 min 56 sec (Melbourne a head of GMT)
2
15
am +579 min 56 sec = 11
54.56
am
LMT at Melbourne is 11
54.56
am
Method 2:
This method is much easier to use but can only be used if we know the Central Meridian of the
country of birth. Let us to be Indian for an example. Central Meridian in India is fixed at 82 30
Ex 1. Person born at Madras on 1-11-1963 at 12
15
pm.
Madras is 8015 east of Greenwich
Central Meridian of India is 8230
Find the difference of both longitudes : 82 30 80 17 =2 13
As Madras is west of the Central Meridian it is to be deducted
2 13 4 min =8 min 52 sec.
12
15
pm 8 min 52 sec =12
06.8
pm.
LMT at Madras is 12
06.8
pm.
Ex. 2 Person born in Calcutta on 23-5-1954 at 3
15
am.
Longitude of Calcutta 88 24
Longitude of IST 82 30
Difference : 88 24 - 82 30 =5 54
Time difference 5 54 4 min =23 min 36 sec
As this is further to the east of the Central Meridian it has to be added
3
15
am +23 min 36 sec =3
38.36
am.
LMT in Calcutta is 3
38.36
am.
Ex. 3 Let us include an example with additional time changes
Person born in Calcutta 28-10-1944 at 6 pm
Longitude of Calcutta 88 24
Longitude of IST 82 30
Difference : 88 24 - 82 30 =5 54
Time difference 5 54 4 min =23 min 36 sec
as it is further to east has to be added
6 pm +23 min 36 sec =6
23.36
pm LMT at Calcutta
But as we can see on Page 2, India observed War Time between 1-9-1942 and 15-10-1945 and
the entire province of Bengal observed Bengal time which was ahead of IST by 1 hour between
1-9-1942 to 1-9-1947
From this follows :
6 pm +23 min 36 sec 1 h (for war time) 1 h (for Bengal time) =4 pm 23 min 36 sec.
LMT is Calcutta is 4 pm 23 min 36 sec.
DATE FROM WHICH STANDARD TIME IN USE IS ADOPTED
BY THE COUNTRIES
Date Month Year
United States and Canada from 12 noon on 18 111883
J apan ... ... 12 7 1886
Austria ... ... 7 9 1889
Hungary ... ... 7 9 1889
Germany ... ... 1 9 1893
Prussia ... ... 1 4 1893
Rumania ... ... 1 10 1891
Servia ... ... 1 10 1891
Bulgaria ... ... 1 10 1891
Italy ... ... 1 11 1893
Denmark ... ... 1 1 1894
Switzerland ... ... 1 6 1894
Norway ... ... 1 1 1895
Queensland ... ... 1 1 1896
Australia ... ... 1 1 1895
New South Wales ... ... 1 2 1895
Victoria ... ... 1 2 1895
South Australia ... ... 1 2 1895
Manila Island ... ... 11 5 1899
Phillippine Island ... -.. 11 5 1899
Alaska ... ... 20 8 1900
Spain ... 1 1 1901
Balearic Islands ... ... 1 1 1901
Atlantic Time 15 6 1902
New Brunswik 15 6 1902
Nova Scotia 15 6 1902
Cape Breton ... 15 6 1902
Prince Edward Island ... ... 15 6 1902
Orange River Colony 1 3 1903
South Africa ... ... 1 3 1903
Transvaal ... 1 3 1903
Rhodesia ... ... 1 3 1903
Portugese East Africa ... ... 1 3 1903
Cape Colony ... ... 1 3 1903
INDIA ... ... 1 1 1906
Peru ... ... 28 7 1908
Republic of Chile ... ... 1 1 1910
Republic of France ... ... 10 3 1911
Great Britain and Ireland (GMT) ... 1880
Belgium (GMT) ... ... 1892
Egypt ... ... 1900