国际子午线会议之述评

A Review of the International Meridian Conference

国际子午线会议是19世纪世界时间标准化最重要的环节。在北美和欧洲,铁路和电报的出现已经成为了国家时区系统创立的先兆,时间标准的统一问题迫切要求通过一些国际协定加以解决。在国际子午线会议上被通过的7条决议,标志着格林尼治被正式采纳为本初子午线,为全球的经度和时间确立了一个基点。国际子午线会议的真实影响与意义值得探讨。

The International Meridian Conference was the most important step of the world time standardization in the nineteenth century. The emergence of both railroad and telegraph had become precursors of the creation of national time zone system in North America and Europe, and the unification of time standard needed to be resolved by some international conventions. The seven resolutions passed in this conference indicated that Greenwich meridian was adopted as the common prime meridian, and established a basic point for the world longitude and time. It is desirable to discuss the real impact and significance of the International Meridian Conference.