equation of time

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. apparent time minus mean solar time, ranging from minus 14 minutes in February to over 16 minutes in November.

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equation of time British  

noun

1. the difference between apparent solar time and mean solar time, being at a maximum in February (over 14 minutes) and November (over 16 minutes)

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Etymology

Origin of equation of time

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

equation of time

But the boring dystopia meme reminds us the end could arrive quietly but corrosively, with a total erosion of work-life balance, crowdfunding for necessary healthcare, infantilisation by technology and the equation of time with capital.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 6, 2018

This difference between GMT and solar time is called "the equation of time" by astronomers.

From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2014

You learned in the lecture the other day on solar time, that the difference between mean time and apparent time was called the equation of time.

From Lectures in Navigation by Ernest Gallaudet Draper

This equation of time, with the sign showing in which way it is to be applied, is given for any minute of any day in the column marked "Equation of Time."

From Lectures in Navigation by Ernest Gallaudet Draper

Clock-time is called mean time, that marked by the sun-dial is called apparent time, and the difference between them is the equation of time.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 3 "Destructors" to "Diameter" by Various