Re: CHAT: Timezones was The English/French counting system
From: | John Cowan <cowan@...> |
Date: | Tuesday, September 16, 2003, 11:34 |
Tristan McLeay scripsit:
> Don't forget that if you based it from just about anywhere else, some
> continent would be split between two days; as it is, the IDL goes
> practically bam-smack through the Pacific. This is the primary reason _I_
> wouldn't move it.
Indeed, that was an important point at the 1884 conference, and one of
the main reasons why the system of W and E longitude was made universal,
rather than a system with longitude degrees counted from 0 to 360
(which of course would lead to the question: which way?).
--
One art / There is John Cowan <jcowan@...>
No less / No more http://www.reutershealth.com
All things / To do http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
With sparks / Galore -- Douglas Hofstadter