The International Date Line is located at about 180° longitude. When you cross the IDL from west to east, you subtract a day, and when you cross it from east to west, you add a day. It intentionally zigzags to avoid crossing through any countries.
What Is the International Date Line?
The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface that separates one day from the next.
Quick Answer
The International Date Line is an imaginary line in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. When you cross it going west, you add a day, and when you cross it going east, you subtract a day. It's where a new day officially begins on Earth.
Related Questions
What is UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)?
UTC is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks. It's the successor to GMT and is based on atomic time for precision.
What is Daylight Saving Time (DST)?
DST is the practice of advancing clocks by one hour during warmer months to extend daylight into the evening.
What does GMT stand for?
GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time, the historic time standard based on the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, London.
What are leap seconds?
A leap second is a one-second adjustment added to UTC to keep it in sync with the Earth's irregular rotation.