Bonus List

PLACES IN THE WORLD WHICH ARE THE FURTHEST WEST OR EAST FOR A TIME ZONE
(LATEST AND EARLIEST SOLAR NOONS)
There are 24 time zones around the world, not including the few which are offset by 15 or 30 minutes, such as those found in Newfoundland, India or Nepal. With a total of 360 degrees of longitude in the east-west direction around the world, one would normally encounter a new time zone about every 15 degrees of longitude when traveling east or west. Travelers going east would set their clocks forward an hour (otherwise the sun would rise and set an hour too early), while travelers going west would set their clocks back an hour (to prevent really late sunrises and sunsets).

However, a few countries in the world skip a time zone or two. For example, China, despite spanning more than 60 degrees of longitude (more than the 48 continguous states of the U.S.), has only one time zone. Even without Daylight Saving Time (which makes solar noon, which is the exact middle of the day, an hour later than during standard time), a part of extreme western China sees the average annual solar noon at almost 3:00 PM! In other places, solar noon comes very early, sometimes around 11:00 AM or before (during standard time). However, in most of the world, solar noon averages between about 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM (without Daylight Saving Time); the average is slightly after noon due to a slight preference towards later sunrises and sunsets.

Latest Solar Noons (Furthest West for a Time Zone):

LOCATION

1. Extreme Western China
2. Extreme W. Aleutian Islands (Attu Is.) *
3. Extreme Western Mongolia *
4. Extreme Western Northwest Territories
of Canada *
5. Extreme Southwestern Argentina
5. Extreme Western Kazakhstan *

AVERAGE SOLAR NOON
DURING STANDARD TIME
2:55 PM
2:30 PM
2:09 PM

1:55 PM
1:54 PM
1:54 PM

* These locations observe Daylight Saving Time (summer time). Therefore, during summer, the clocks are an hour later (and the solar noon is an hour later than listed here.)

No locations north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle are listed.

Earliest Solar Noons (Furthest East for a Time Zone):

LOCATION

1. Northern Ural Mountains, Russia *
2. Extreme Northeastern India
3. Extreme Northeastern China
3. Extreme Southeastern Turkey *
5. Extreme Eastern Central African Rep.

AVERAGE SOLAR NOON
DURING STANDARD TIME
10:46 AM
11:00 AM
11:01 AM
11:01 AM
11:10 AM

* These locations observe Daylight Saving Time (summer time). Therefore, during summer, the clocks are an hour later (and the solar noon is an hour later than listed here.)

No locations north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle are listed.

Return to the bonus lists, to the chapters of the book or choose from...

Any questions about the website or specifically for Brandt? Please send them here.