What is the
Science of Time?
Horology
is the science of time, timekeepers (clocks, watches)
and timekeeping.
Humans have been measuring time since
the beginning of civilizations all over the world. There are almost
as many calendars as there are major cultures in the world. Ever since
world travel made the world a smaller place, there has been a need for
international agreement as to how time is measured. Without a universally
agreed upon measure of time, how can we coordinate our schedules with
people in other parts of the country, or the world?
Back in 1878, Canadian Sir Sanford Fleming
proposed the system of worldwide time zones that we still use today.
He recommended that the world be divided into twenty-four time zones,
each spaced 15 degrees of longitude apart. Since the earth rotates once
every 24 hours and there are 360 degrees of longitude, each hour the
earth rotates one-twenty-fourth of a circle or 15° of longitude.
However, with the advent of technology and the Internet, there is a
new push for a more standardized, absolute measure of time that would
make time truly universal.
Learn
more about all the different Systems of Time, or How time is measured
Types of Calendars
Chinese
The French Republican
Calendar
Gregorian
(the one currently used by European and American nations)
Hebrew (Yahrzeit) Calendar
Islamic
(Hijri) Calendar
