What’s the Time?

Have you ever wondered what time

it is in different countries around the
world?

While you are in bed at night time, people in some countries are getting up
and starting their day. In other countries, people are at work and school as
it isn’t night-time there yet.

This is all linked to a country’s time zone.

London: 9:00 am Los Angeles: 1:00 am Sydney 7:00 pm

 Day and Night
The time of day will depend on whereabouts you are on Earth.

The Earth rotates on its axis and the Sun only shines on the side of the
Earth which is facing it. This means that for this side of
the Earth it will be day time. On the side of the Earth facing away from
the Sun, it will be night time.
What Are Time Zones and Meridians?
Earth is divided into time zones by imaginary lines called meridians. Meridians
start from the North Pole and run to the South Pole.
Prime Meridian
There were originally 24 time zones, each divided
by meridians 15 degrees apart. 15 degrees
multiplied by 24 makes 360 degrees which
is the circumference of the Earth.

The equator splits Earth into the northern

and southern hemispheres. The Prime
Meridian splits Earth into the eastern
and western hemispheres.

Equator
 What Is The Prime Meridian?
The Prime Meridian, or Greenwich Meridian, is the starting point for time zones. It
passes through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London.

The time at the Greenwich Meridian is known as Greenwich Mean Time

(GMT).
Countries which are in the eastern hemisphere are ahead of the
Prime Meridian
time in the UK. If a place is five hours in front of Greenwich
Mean Time we say that it is GMT+5.

Countries which are in the western hemisphere are

behind the time in the UK. If a place is five hours
behind Greenwich Mean Time we say that it is GMT-
5.

Some countries are so big that they are spread across

more than one time zone.
 Changing Time Zones
Time zones have changed since they were first set. This is because of geographical, social and political
reasons in some countries. There are now many more time zones as several of them are only 30 or 45
minutes apart. For example, Samoa, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, used to sit just to the east of the
international date line. This imaginary line defines the border between one day and the next. Therefore,
Samoa was one day behind its very close neighbours, Australia and New Zealand. This made it difficult
for Samoa to communicate and trade with the these countries when they were a day ahead of them.
Eventually, the dateline was redrawn so that Samoa could be to the west of it.
 The Time Zones
Here is a map showing the Earth’s current time zones.

If you look closely at the time zones map, you can see that some countries’ time
zones do not fit with the original meridians running between the North Pole and
the South Pole.