[at-l] ever

[rcli4 at comcast.net]

When I was overseas we used to joke that the govt couldn't do anything else to us except take away our birthday.  I mean, the brig was a step up from getting shot at.  When we crossed the IDL one of the guys "lost his birthday".  We went from yesterday straight to tomorrow.

clyde

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Jim Bullard" <jim.bullard at gmail.com> 

All the time zones "wiggle". Take a look at <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/International_Date_Line.png>. The IDL wiggles so bad that it is tomorrow in the Line Islands while it is still today in the Aleutians even though the Line Islands are East of the Aleutians by about 30 degrees. Taking into account that "wiggle" the answer to Felix question would be a resounding "NO!". It is always a different day somewhere, at least by the methods we use to reckon time.

Theoretically speaking at the exact point of midnight on the IDL (if it was a straight line rather than a VERY crooked one) it is yesterday to the West, tomorrow to the East and today does not exist. But, as I said before, you hafta look fast to see it.


2008/8/4 Steve Miller <atlists at millers-house.org>

Having crossed the IDL seven times in the past year, I have to side with Camo on this one.  When it is noon on the IDL (180 degrees longitude), it is midnight on the Prime Meridian through England.  At that moment, Europe is in the new day, but North America is still in the old day.

Theoretically speaking, as midnight "approaches" the IDL from the east, more and more of the world is on the same day until the moment it reaches the IDL, when we all are on the same day.  As it moves west, a new day begins west of the IDL.

An interesting tool called Sunclock from Mapmaker.com lets you advance time to see what day/time it is and will be anywhere.

Of course, the true IDL wiggles its way around the 180 meridian, keeping the eastern tip of Russia in the same day as the rest, and the western most islands of Alaska in the same day as Juneau, among other examples.  Because of this wandering IDL, the reality is that it is never truly the same day everywhere in the world.  

Steve "Up to Somethin'"
"Does anybody really know what time it is?"
"Does anybody really care?"

Jim Bullard wrote: 

Nope. Only at noon on the IDL, AM on the West side and PM on the East side. At midnight on the IDL it is one day on one side and another on the other side (the day changes at midnight and the IDL is the official point where it changes). The "new day" then moves around the world from there. Aside from a millisecond at noon on the IDL it is another day somewhere in the world by whatever tiny increment of time you care to divide the day into. Look fast or you'll miss it.


On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 8:22 AM, <camojack at comcast.net> wrote:

Yes, when it's midnight on the International Date Line. Why?
-"Camo"


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Felix J <AThiker at smithville.net>
> Is it ever the same day everywhere?
>
>
> --
> Felix J. McGillicuddy
> ME-->GA '98
> "Your Move"
> ALT '03 KT '03
> http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/

-- 
Jim Bullard
http://jims-ramblings.blogspot.com/
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