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Time standard · UT1

Universal Time (UT1)

The form of Universal Time tied to the actual rotation of the Earth, measured from the positions of distant sources. Because the Earth's spin is slightly irregular and slowly slowing, UT1 drifts against the steady beat of atomic time.

Across celestial mechanics

Knowledge connections

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • US Naval ObservatoryUnited States Naval Observatory

    Precise time, almanac data, Sun/Moon rise-set, and phases.