Time scales and civil time

Sidereal time

Also: sterrentijd

Sidereal time measures one rotation of the Earth relative to the distant stars rather than the Sun. A sidereal day therefore lasts about 23 hours 56 minutes, nearly 4 minutes shorter than a solar day.

Astronomers use sidereal time to point telescopes at fixed positions in the sky.

← Back to the glossary

What are you looking for?