Sidereal Time and Universal Time are rotational

... Always were (Updated: 2025-05-06)

In the mid-70s I began exploring astrology for answers to a life-changing Event that occurred to me. This was before the advent of the home computer, so I necessarily learned how to calculate a chart by hand. Some astrologers used logarithms and tables of houses, but I used a scientific calculator, trigonometric equations, The Astronomical Almanac and Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac. The first exercise, however, was to use two formulas: The first to convert the local time of birth to local apparent sidereal time (LAST) in order to determine the house cusps, the second to convert the local time to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), synonymous with UT1, in order to determine the planetary positions. Any old-timer who’s hand-calculated a chart knows exactly what two formulas to which I refer.

This life-changing Event was discovered to be coincident with an exact Uranus Rx transit to my 1^st House cusp. I knew nothing about house systems at the time, except the Placidus House System which was used by an astrologer I met within a couple months after the Event. Placidus was, as many of you know, very popular back then as it is today, a so-called quadrant system that uses the ASC-DSC and MC-IC axes. I calculated my ASC to be 27° Libra and was instructed by this astrologer that this was the 1^st House cusp. I learned the meaning of the planets, and I discovered that Uranus Rx was not, however, conjunct my ASC when this Event occurred (what most astrologers would think would be the case). I came to realize instead that it was the precise zodiacal position (3° Sco 41'07.27") of the celestial equator – the primary horizon of the Earth. I discovered shortly thereafter that there was another system - the Meridian System - that used this position, the Equatorial ASC (EP), as the 1^st House cusp, as well as that Uranian astrologers mainly were familiar with it. Anyway, having learned that the 1^st House cusp is associated with self-awareness, identity and how one projects himself, it made sense, to me at least, to use this house system instead of an ASC-based system, such as Placidus, Koch, etc. The Meridian also uses the other two axes MC-IC, so we have a genuine quadrant system, in my opinion. At this Event, Saturn was exactly (~ a couple days) conjunct this MC, too. What could be more life-changing?

I knew based upon my birth time that the calculation of local apparent sidereal time (LAST) was correct, since the house structure had an EP of 3° Sco 41'07.27" where Uranus Rx was on June 1, 1976, when this Event occurred. I queried and learned from time experts, e.g., Drs. P. K. Seidelmann, Dennis D. McCarthy and B. Guinot, in our correspondence (ca. 1980) that sidereal time and universal time (GMT/UT1) are both rotational, two complementary measures of the rotation angle of the Earth. With the first formula mentioned that converts the local time to LAST, it was obvious to me that the longitude difference in time (aka LMT variation) between Greenwich and my birthplace was accounted for. I learned that no two observers at different longitudes within a time zone with clocks synchronized could possibly have the same LAST. And to date, I’ve found no such case. This realization of the rotational quality of LAST has never slipped away – this formula, at least, faithfully honors the rotation of the Earth as the basis of astronomical timekeeping!

Prior to Nov. 18, 1883, local mean time (LMT) was in effect in the U.S. and elsewhere, and I discovered that LMT also honors the rotation of the Earth, that every LMT across the globe is related to GMT. If there is a 15° separation to the east of Greenwich, then the LMT at 15°E longitude is exactly 1 hour later and if to the west, 1 hour earlier (see image #3 below). I could see this 2^nd formula worked perfectly, too, no difference between them. The GMT was what I used to calculate the planets, the LAST the house structure.

If the astrologer were to open the Explanatory Supplement to Section 3 on p. 66, flip right a few pages to p. 74, he’d see in black and white the relationship of universal time (GMT) and LMT: local mean time = universal time - longitude. If Dr. Seidelmann et al., were not as honest and straightforward, the equation would look like this instead - the insidious, modern representation: local time = UTC - time-zone offset (CT = UTC - TZ offset), a nod to standard time and a deprecation of LMT and with no mention of the longitude of an observer. Of course, the astronomer who presents this 2^nd equation is championing the supplantation of local civil time, the intent of the statute in 1883, while going mute on the actual local time of an observer (LMT or equivalent) and its relationship to UT1 (GMT), something astrologers should not allow under any circumstance. These two equations for converting local time to UT1 (GMT) work great for all dates before and after 1883, but ONLY if an observer is situated on a standard meridian where the LMT is equivalent to local civil time (see Ex. 1 and 4 in the images below). Any other situation requires a math adjustment to the 2^nd equation that converts local civil time to GMT (UT1), since time is, in fact, LATER to the east or EARLIER to the west of a standard meridian.

I emailed Dr. P. K. Seidelmann, now a professor at the Univ. of Virginia (almost 88 yrs. old), on May 5, 2025, 1:59 pm CDT, asking if he agreed that my formula (UT1 = CT + ΔT_zone + [(λ_obs - λ_std) × 4 / 60] - if west of Greenwich) “acknowledges and honors the observer's longitude, whereas this post-1883 formula (CT = UT1 - TZ offset) doesn't,” and he replied “yes” on May 6, 2025, 7:46:40 am CDT. I responded shortly after at 8:52 am CDT with “Thank you for the reply.” He confirmed what he implied in a personal letter to me (ca. 1980)

For centuries there was no question about whether or not both time scales, LAST and GMT (UT1), were rotational. What the time experts told me ca. 1980 is the same today (also see https://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/seago.pdf, Intro., paragraph 2, sentence 2). Don’t take my word for it! GMT (UT1) behaves the same way, they say. I used this 2^nd formula (the insidious one) as much as the 1^st formula, but each time I noticed that if there were two observers at different longitudes within the same time zone with clocks arbitrarily synchronized, they both had, lo and behold, the SAME calculated UT. And, to date, I’ve found no such case either of the standard formula giving a different UT. Yet, both time scales are still rotational, according to the time experts! The 2^nd formula worked before 1883 for the longest. But each time I used the formula for dates after 1883, I kept getting this confounding result - the SAME calculated UT!

The truth of the matter appears to be that when “railroad” time was implemented on Sun., Nov. 18, 1883, the astronomers and astrologers simply forgot to reconstruct the 2^nd formula, or else they purposefully intended and chose not to reconstruct it to continue honoring GMT (UT1) as rotational. It appears, to me at least, that it was the latter case. The concept of time underwent a radical change – time (at least, LMT/GMT) was promulgated by everyone (except the time experts) as homogeneous across a time zone. People could travel without the chaos caused by different clocks everywhere. Sidereal time could stay rotational, sure, since no one really knew about that time scale but astronomers and astrologers, right? No sidereal clocks that anyone could mess with also. But the other time scale – GMT (UT1) – came to be interchangeable with or viewed as the “same everywhere on Earth” (see Wikipedia’s description). The Earth, however, has more than one longitude, in case anyone forgot, where GMT (UT1) is ONLY applicable to Greenwich. My longitude is on Earth, too, and the LMT here is not the same as GMT, last time I checked. It’s, of course, “related” (as stated here on p. 74) but not the same. So, a blatant misrepresentation, in our opinion, and the Wikipedia contributor had the compunction anyway to reference the time experts who disagree with that description! We disagree, too!

In practice, at least, 99% or more of astrologers believe this Neptunian view of time. I know many prominent ones, some authors of our most popular astrology programs, who believe and promulgate the Action Comics Superman-inspired view - that time MUST be the same everywhere if Clark Kent can move around like that! Another one with a similar notion said to me recently, “If I can call on the phone someone in China and hear it ringing at the same moment as he is hearing it, and he says ‘nǐhǎo’, then time is definitely the same everywhere!” Not just in one time zone, mind you, ALL time zones. So, this “Master astrologer”/programmer is on record wishing like Alice in Wonderland for the day when all clocks will be synchronized to UTC (not rotational by definition).

In the images below are four examples of births that could have happened yesterday, March 14 (Ex. 1, New Orleans, LA, Ex. 2, Metropolis, IL, Ex. 3, West Paducah, KY, and Ex. 4, Philadelphia, PA). In Ex. 1 and 4, there is a 1-hr. difference with a corresponding 15° difference in longitude, and with the same Moon position (25° Vir 30'25") – the SAME because the Moon is based upon the GMT (UT1) being the same. So, this is how one could imagine like Alice that “UT1 is the same everywhere on Earth” if the Moon, which is geocentrically calculated, is in the same zodiacal position, right? Except GMT is only applicable to Greenwich, not New Orleans – two different longitudes. They are RELATED (read it again, p.74), like a husband and wife, but not the same numerical value, which proves that GMT (UT1) is rotational. The LAST for both are different, too, evidenced by the difference on the MC, which proves that sidereal time is rotational as well.

The only way to have the MC the same for two locations is if both are at the same longitude, as shown in Ex. 2 and 3. The clock settings and time zones may be an hour apart, sure, but the MC is the same.

You’ll notice something different, however, with Ex. 2 and 3. In our standard charts (shown in image #2) and with the unrevised and current formula in place that converts the local time to GMT (UT1), the Moon is shown to be the same in both examples, right? After all, “time is the same for all longitudes across the time zone, why not?” The fictitious time on the clocks is the same, yes, but the LMT or actual local time for New Orleans and Metropolis are NOT the same. We knew this before 1883, but some of us (or damn near all of us) forgot. “The lie became the truth,” as Orwell says.

If astronomical time is LATER to the east, like Metropolis is to New Orleans, in fact, 1°15'38" in longitude or +5m02s LATER, then the Moon should be about half of that, since she travels 1° every ~2 hours, which it is, 2'31" LATER. For each location or longitude to the east, time is LATER, and to the west, it’s EARLIER. If the clock setting for Metropolis were originally set for its LMT, the clock would read 10:10:05 am LMT, as shown here, and the Moon would be exactly as we have calculated it to be - 28° Vir 32'56". The Moon cannot be in the same zodiacal longitude at the synchronized time of 11:00 am for both locations. ONLY one of the charts would be correct with the standard calculation – i.e., New Orleans – where the LMT is equivalent. The other one is FAKE!

So, if the Moon is LATER to the east in Ex. 2, then the same will apply to Ex. 4. We see the same clock time as the preceding example, same time zone, and we would normally see the same Moon using the standard formula (shown in image #2) that converts local time to GMT (UT1), except we should remember as in Ex. 1 and 2 that “time is LATER to the east.” The difference in longitude between Paducah, IL and Philadelphia, PA is 13°44'22" or 54m58s, so the Moon should be about half of that LATER, and it is - 28° Vir 03'52" in Paducah, 28° Vir 30'25" in Philadelphia. So, same situation: The Moon cannot be in the same zodiacal longitude at the synchronized time of 12:00 pm for both locations. ONLY one of the charts would be correct with the standard calculation – i.e., Philadelphia – where the LMT is equivalent. The other one is FAKE!

Finally, we show what LMT charts would look like in image #3, IF these four birth times were based upon clocks initially set for LMT. There would be no Daylight Saving Time (DST) pre-1883, so we’ll use an hour earlier - Ex. 1, New Orleans, LA, 10:00 am LMT, Ex. 2, Metropolis, IL, 10:05:02.498 am LMT, Ex. 3, West Paducah, IL, 10:05:02.498 am LMT, and Ex. 4., 11:00 am LMT, Philadelphia, PA. The charts all have the same planetary structure, as they should, since the LMT and GMT are equivalently related in each chart. The LASTs are different, of course, for Ex. 1 and Ex. 4, because time is LATER to the east, just as it is or should be using LMT. Ex. 2 and Ex. 3 are instead situated at the same longitude. The BIG DECEPTION is that the Standard Charts appear to be the same as the LMT charts, but they aren’t really - it’s an illusion. In image #2 ONLY the clocks in Ex. 1 and 4 are set properly from the start, since there is no difference between local civil time and LMT. The clocks in Ex. 2 and Ex. 3 are, however, improperly set because there is an anomaly (albeit, hidden) in the clock time and LMT. Those astronomers or astrologers who consciously decided not to restructure the conversion formula from local civil time to GMT (UT1) wanted everyone to believe like Alice that time IS really homogeneous across a time zone! Their message was: “If we all just synchronize our clocks, then the fantasy will become a reality!” And, for 142 long years, it has been.

Therefore, given the equation in the Explanatory Supplement, p. 74, i.e., local mean time = universal time - longitude, and considering that clocks are not set using LMT anymore but rather for standard time (i.e., local civil time), we present vis-à-vis this equation (presented first and published in 1983 and ignored by many astrologers then) and its variation that continue to honor the longitude of the observer for the proper calculation of planetary positions:

For longitudes west of Greenwich (see images):

1 - standard time = universal time - time-zone offset - LMT variation
or the equivalent: CT = UT1 - ΔT_zone - [(λ_obs - λ_std) × 4 / 60]
2 - universal time = standard time + time-zone offset + LMT variation
or the equivalent: UT1 = CT + ΔT_zone + [(λ_obs - λ_std) × 4 / 60]

For longitudes east of Greenwich:

1 - standard time = universal time + time-zone offset - LMT variation
or the equivalent: CT = UT1 + ΔT_zone - [(λ_obs - λ_std) × 4 / 60]
2 - universal time = standard time - time-zone offset + LMT variation
or the equivalent: UT1 = CT - ΔT_zone + [(λ_obs - λ_std) × 4 / 60]

… where the LMT variation is the distance in time east from the standard meridian, CT = civil or standard time, and UT1 = GMT or the LMT of Greenwich, a longitude-dependent calculation.

Using Ex. 1 and Ex. 2 where Metropolis is east of the standard meridian in New Orleans, the LMT variation is added in the second equation, subtracted in the first equation. In Ex. 3 and Ex. 4, West Paducah is west of Philadelphia, so the LMT variation is subtracted in the second equation, added in the first equation.

This first image shows the restructuring of the formula (applied here via an Astrolog macro) to generate the proper planetary positions in an Adjusted Chart - i.e., one chart wheel with the correct angles (MC/IC and EP/WP) and the correct planets. It's quite simple! Pressing the F3 key, we now have correctly calculated planets, too! The Adjusted Chart is also the genuine Person-Centered Chart, unlike that presented by Dane Rudhyar in the 1970s.

It’s essential to dig deep into our collective memory and remember this: Both time scales - sidereal time and universal time - are rotational, always have been, astronomical time is LATER to the east of a given standard meridian and/or EARLIER to the west, LASTs and LMTs are the same for two or more locations at the same longitude, and the proper GMT (UT1) for another longitude will be different for an observer if the clock is arbitrarily synchronized to a standard meridian, as shown in image #1.
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Here’s a 2025-03-24 chat with xAI chatbot Grok-3 on the issue of time conversion that all astrologers/programmers and astronomers should read and apply the appropriate correction to the formula in question: Grok-3 on time conversion. We asked Claude 3.5 Haiku the same on 2025-03-25 but specifically to the equations: Claude 3.5 Haiku on time conversion. Same conclusion! Another Grok-3 follow-up chat on 2025-03-27 to ensure accuracy: Grok-3 on formulas. On 2025-03-28 ChatGPT-4o couldn’t get it right with either example even with a detailed query, so I supplied my results, and the chatbot agreed on the perfect logic for both examples: ChatGPT-4o on time conversion. And, finally, an AI verdict by Grok-3 and Final chat with Grok-3 on how to fix the flaw.
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