Why is the timezone as it is? Sunset time: 6:05p. Sunrise: 5:37a
In Austin Texas sunset would be 7:45 today – almost 2 hours later. I think being closer to the equator gives you slightly earlier sunset in the summer (later in the winter), but still.
I know Japan is the same way. Tokyo today: 5:58 pm
Seoul: 6:50
It seems to me that Taiwan should be GMT+9, not +8
I’m guessing this is a relic of China’s horrible timezone situation, but it’s something govt has power over.
EDIT:
Strange, +8 seems to be in line with what it should be – Time Zone Map – but I don’t get why sunset is so early.
I know being on the western edge of a zone gives you a later sunset than being on the eastern edge – Seoul is and Tokyo are both +9 but on different edges of the same zone – but TW is in the middle of +8 so I don’t get why sunset is so early here vs the US
EDIT:
ah, the US can thank DST. Hover over the US on that map. Maybe one day they’ll finally make DST permanent. The rest of the world should move clocks forward one hour too… No yearly time changes, just forward an hour one time and keep it that way.
A few things cause these odd times - Latitude being one - the big differences lessen the closer you get to the Equator. And, while not affecting Taiwan, the difference in Longitudes from the East and West side of the Timezone. There are some really big ones in Europe - I was in Northern France in late October one year, just before the Winter change kicked in and it was dark until about 07:30 and Sunset was around 20:30.
And some are Historical as no doubt is part of the reason for Taiwan being as it is. Taiwan like most of Asia has no Summer/Winter time changes either.
Looks like most of the world, aside from the US and Europe, have early sunsets.
Europe’s is later because of latitude, US’s is later because of policy.
Everyone else is screwed.
Taiwan is about the same latitude as Mexico, but big difference in sunset time.
Areas in red see the sun rise and set late in the day; areas in green see it early. Obviously, the regions which are white sit centrally in the time zone in which they’re located — the best example being London, through which GMT is defined.
Must be showing the US during non-DST times.
Now I know who to blame. I guess the idea is that noon is supposed to be with sun directly overhead, midday, so early sunrise and sunset are the “correct” way of having your time, but practically, it sucks.
Or maybe I just don’t wake up early enough…
The NW of U.S. is great during the summer. Sunsets past 9pm, and even then the sky doesn’t get dark til 9:30pm or later.
Taiwan’s sunsets suck. It should change its time to Japan just to fuq with that big ogre to the left and not be on the same time zone.
Any politicians listening? This is FU stuff here.
Note that Malaysia and Singapore are effectively on permanent daylight saving time, with sunrise 7am (give or take), sunset 7pm. I know I’ve posted somewhere on the forum that I wish we’d do the same here.
See this thread - there was a petition to change the time zone, although I don’t know (no longer remember?) what became of it.
I actually like it now that I’m older. I usually go out at 6 and sleep at 10 or 11, so it’s great for my schedule.
Like you guys though, I hated it when I was younger coming from DST in America. I wouldn’t mind a single change to +9, but changing twice yearly is obviously horrible for health.
I recall when I moved from West Virginia to Texas, I gained about a half hour of sunlight in the winter evening, but lost about the same during the summer, compared to WV.
