Introduction to Timekeeping on Mars
How is time calculated on Mars
On Mars, seconds, minutes, and hours are exactly the same as those on Earth. However, martian days are longer than days on Earth. Martian time is denoted using hh:mm:ss or +mm:ss. For example, we would have 13:43 of the day. We also have +25:53 which is after the first 24 hours. This extended notation must be less than +39:35.24409.
There are 25 timezones on Mars. For easier time conversions, each timezone is separated by 1 hour. Thus each timezone covers 14.5987 degrees instead of 15 degrees. As a side note, the prime meridian on Mars is the longitude that passes through Airy-0. Longitudes are from 0 to 360.
Timezone | Start Longitude | End Longitude | Hours Deficit from 0 Timezone |
---|---|---|---|
0 | 0° | 14.5987° | 0 |
1 | 14.5987° | 29.1974° | +1 |
2 | 29.1974° | 43.7961° | +2 |
3 | 43.7961° | 58.3948° | +3 |
4 | 58.3948° | 72.9935° | +4 |
5 | 72.9935° | 87.5922° | +5 |
6 | 87.5922° | 102.1909° | +6 |
7 | 102.1909° | 116.7896° | +7 |
8 | 116.7896° | 131.3883° | +8 |
9 | 131.3883° | 145.9870° | +9 |
10 | 145.9870° | 160.5858° | +10 |
11 | 160.5858° | 175.1845° | +11 |
12 | 175.1845° | 189.7832° | +12 |
13 | 189.7832° | 204.3819° | +13 |
14 | 204.3819° | 218.9806° | +14 |
15 | 218.9806° | 233.5793° | +15 |
16 | 233.5793° | 248.1780° | +16 |
17 | 248.1780° | 262.7767° | +17 |
18 | 262.7767° | 277.3754° | +18 |
19 | 277.3754° | 291.9741° | +19 |
20 | 291.9741° | 306.5728° | +20 |
21 | 306.5728° | 321.1715° | +21 |
22 | 321.1715° | 335.7702° | +22 |
23 | 335.7702° | 350.3689° | +23 |
24 | 350.3689° | 360° | +36:35 |