McBride Time Zone

The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC−8). The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC−7.

The longitude of McBride is -120.16, 0.16 degrees west of the 120th meridian.

360° / 24 hrs = 0.16° / .01 hrs

McBride is 38 seconds west of UTC-8.

The equation of time

The equation of time describes the discrepancy between two kinds of solar time. These are apparent solar time, which directly tracks the motion of the sun, and mean solar time, which tracks a fictitious “mean” sun with noons 24 hours apart. Apparent (or true) solar time can be obtained by measurement of the current position (hour angle) of the Sun, or indicated (with limited accuracy) by a sundial. Mean solar time, for the same place, would be the time indicated by a steady clock set so that over the year its differences from apparent solar time average to zero.

The equation of time is the east or west component of the analemma, a curve representing the angular offset of the Sun from its mean position on the celestial sphere as viewed from Earth. The equation of time values for each day of the year, compiled by astronomical observatories, were widely listed in almanacs and ephemerides.

Equation of time

During a year the equation of time varies as shown on the graph; its change from one year to the next is slight. Apparent time, and the sundial, can be ahead (fast) by as much as 16 min 33 s (around 3 November), or behind (slow) by as much as 14 min 6 s (around 12 February). The equation of time has zeros near 15 April, 13 June, 1 September and 25 December. Ignoring very slow changes in the Earth’s orbit and rotation, these events are repeated at the same times every tropical year. However, due to the non-integral number of days in a year, these dates can vary by a day or so from year to year.

The graph of the equation of time is closely approximated by the sum of two sine curves, one with a period of a year and one with a period of half a year. The curves reflect two astronomical effects, each causing a different non-uniformity in the apparent daily motion of the Sun relative to the stars:

  • the obliquity of the ecliptic (the plane of the Earth’s annual orbital motion around the Sun), which is inclined by about 23.44 degrees relative to the plane of the Earth’s equator; and
  • the eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which is about 0.0167.

What about God

No matter what you think of him, you’ve got to admit that in his day, this God fellow, the one and only Supreme Being who governs the universe, had quite an influence on human history. The old stories from the Fertile Crescent, the Levant, and Greece speak highly of him. Europeans could hardly contain their enthusiasm.

The say that in Africa, China, India, North and South America, Russia — everywhere except perhaps in Antarctica, but for all I know, the penguins have a God —  these people used to love God, and also to fear him, for God always brings his partner, the Devil. There be many still who live such love and fear.

Towards our day, Nietzsche thought that God had died from boredom and disgust with humanity, but traces of him still still rear their heads.