More on the international date line

People live and act according to agreements. These fix behaviour and movements in daily living, because everybody knows what to expect. In this way one has devided the surface of the earth in 360 longitude degrees or meridians, imaginary lines of longitude thought to be running from north to south. In the nineteens century there has been some complaining concerning the position of the meridian that had to be defined as to be the zero or prime meridian. It dealt with a national item, namely wether this would pass through Paris or through the English Royal Greenwich Observatory (London). Finally the last one won. This leaflet is intended to assist those wanting to know a little more about the meridian and interntinal date line.
So, we saw, Greenwhich is situated on the zero degree (0°) meridian. Amsterdam, f.i., on about 4th easter longitude degree or meridian from Greenwich meridian zero. In the other direction towns are situated on degrees western longitude, always seen with ones face directed to the north pole to be able to distinguish between left and right as the western or eastern hemispheres.

Further more one has devided the number of longitude degrees into 24 zones in consequence to the number of 60 minutes segments per day. So originally there were 24 zones of which each principally knows its own time. This is, of course, basically very keen, but it leads to convert times world wide to get to know what time it is somewhere else in another timezone, f.i. in New York. The time difference between Brussels and New York counts six zones. In this way one has to calculates wether a relation is alredy awork, and can be called up, or is still enjoying a good night rest on another continent.

But where did time has to start, on which meridian the day, and so the date, did have to begin? It was thought well that midnight, the twelve hours moment at night at Greenwhich, to be the decisive moment. This meant that on the same time, but twelf time zones or 180° easter longitude at the othe end of the world map, is was high noon or midday. The sun now has risen to its highest position in the sky which is at twelve hours at noon. The international date line is an invisible line drawn from the north to south pole running at one side of the earth where the date of one day turns into the date of the next day. On the world map this line is drawn on the 180 degrees eastern meridian on the globe exactly opposit the position of the English university of Greenwhich (London), which therefor itself is situated on the 0 degrees or so called Greenwich zero or prime meridian. So on the date line every new days time starts running and where at 00at:00.00 for this reason the at:-time starts.

Though the international date line mainly passes through the pacific, one of the most well known countries that lies very near to the date line is New Zealand, where the Greenwhich antipods dwell. In fact, near this country the daytime starts running. And, of course, on the many isles situated on this date line. Because these isles mostly are not exactly situated on the date line, it's rather crumbled here and there. But at the moment, as well in practice as politically, we can live with it rather well.

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