Time in Antarctica is divided into 25 time zones, each corresponding roughly to 15 degrees of longitude, except for Yankee and McMurdo time zones, which are 7.5 degrees each.
Antarctic Time Zones[]
Time zones are named according to NATO military designations, with the following exceptions: "India" is replaced with "Ivan", "Lima" is replaced with "Liberty", and "Quebec" is replaced with "Quincy". This is to avoid the confusion that results from using actual place names. "Mike" is replaced with "McMurdo" domestically, although the former is used in international contexts, as well as to specify UTC+13 (Mike+1, as used at McMurdo and Scott research bases during the summer).
Zones used in Federation settlements[]
The following time zones are observed within urban and permanently-inhabited areas of the Federation:
- McMurdo Time Zone: (MT; UTC+12): Terra Nova; all of Victoria Land, except for Balto and Les Anges
- Liberty Time Zone: (LT; UTC+11): Balto, Victoria Land
- Kilo Time Zone: (KT; UTC+10): Les Anges, Victoria Land
- Ivan Time Zone: (IT; UTC+9): Vladiyug, Bellinsgauzenia
- Hotel Time Zone: (HT; UTC+8): Devonport, Bellinsgauzenia
- Golf Time Zone: (GT; UTC+7): Oazisdar, Bellinsgauzenia
- Foxtrot Time Zone: (FT; UTC+6): Bellinsgauzenia (Davisdale, Xue Long)
- Echo Time Zone: (ET; UTC+5): Bellinsgauzenia (Amery and Joel)
- Delta Time Zone: (DT; UTC+4): Bellinsgauzenia (Ives Tongue, Mawson City, and St. Ignatius)
- Charlie Time Zone: (CT; UTC+3): Bellinsgauzenia (Daggett and St. Anastasia)
- Bravo Time Zone: (BT; UTC+2): Yomato, New Swabia
- Alpha Time Zone: (AT; UTC+1): Shackleton
- Zulu Time Zone: (ZT; UTC+0): New Swabia (Tor and Troll)
- November Time Zone: (NT; UTC-1): Kottas, New Swabia
- Oscar Time Zone: (OT; UTC-2): Sagan, New Swabia
- Papa Time Zone: (PT; UTC-3): All of Alyeska, except for Graham and Weddell.
- Quincy Time Zone: (QT; UTC-4): Alyeska (Graham and Weddell); New South Greenland (Pensacola, San Marino, and Villa Rothera); Polaria (Patuxent and Pensacola).
- Romeo Time Zone: (RT; UTC-5): New South Greenland (Ellsworth, Chilkoot, and Nanook boroughs)
- Victor Time Zone: (VT; UTC-9): All populated areas in Amundsen.
- Yankee Time Zone: (YT; UTC-12): Polaria (Hillary and vicinity, Gottleib)
Zones not used in Federation settlements[]
The following time zones are only observed along the Transantarctic Highway System and at way stations and road houses:
- Sierra Time Zone: (ST; UTC-6)
- Tango Time Zone: (TT; UTC-7)
- Uniform Time Zone: (UT; UTC-8)
- Whiskey Time Zone: (WT; UTC-10)
- X-Ray Time Zone: (XT; UTC-11)
Daylight saving time[]
Daylight saving time is technically observed in the following areas:
- Alyeska (all boroughs except the unorganized borough)
- Amundsen (all settlements except Peary)
- Bellinsgauzenia (Amery, Charles, and Ingrid oblasts, Devonport)
- New South Greenland (Adelaides Borough and Ellsworth)
- Polaria (Gottleib)
- Victoria Land (All areas except Balto and Les Anges)
The areas listed above all observe a time zone that is one hour or more ahead of mean solar time, and thus observe daylight saving time year round. The seasonal practice of advancing the clocks one hour forward or backward is unnecessary in Antarctica, due to the fact that most of the continent receives daylight or darkness 24 hours per day, depending on season. Foreign research stations use this practice only to remain in sync with supply stations off-continent.