Skip to content
Astral Atlas
Wiki concept · Time & location

Terrestrial Time

Also called TT

A uniform time scale used in astronomical models; it differs from rotation-based UT1.

In this entry

Word origin · etymology

Standardized English name.

Terrestrial comes from Latin terra, earth. TT abbreviates Terrestrial Time, the Earth-associated theoretical time scale.

BIPM: Time metrology ↗Merriam-Webster: terrestrial ↗

How we know · epistemology

Astronomical time scale

TT supplies the time argument for uniform astronomical models. It is not the time shown on an ordinary birth record, and the correct conversion matters when comparing ephemerides.

US Naval Observatory: Universal Time ↗

Connected concepts

Terms used in this explanation

These links connect subjects and terminology. They do not establish a shared historical origin.

Sources & provenance

Use the citations beside each section to distinguish a calculation convention, a historical teaching and an editorial example.

Find these sources across the wiki →

  1. US Naval Observatory: Universal Time ↗
  2. BIPM: Time metrology ↗
  3. Merriam-Webster: terrestrial ↗