time zones

     If you spend time on the internet, you have probably noticed that it's not the same time of day in California as in Pennsylvania. If you live on the east coast, and call someone in California at noon, it will be 9 am to the person you call. If you try to figure out what time an ebay auction ends, you will have to translate Pacific Time into Eastern Time, by adding 3 hours. If the auction ends at 9 am Pacific time, that's noon to someone in Philadelphia or New York.
     There are 24 hours in a day, and 24 time zones on the planet. It is always night somewhere, and always day somewhere. In fact, it is always morning, afternoon, evening, and the middle of the night--somewhere, and at the same time. Really. But not in the same place. If you think about time, it is still based on sunset and sunrise. Noon, the middle of the day, is when the sun is highest in the sky, which can only happen in one place at a time. As the Earth revolves ( making it seem like the sun is moving ) , the sun is in a different position, and it is a different time--for everyone on the planet.