Different places in the world enter daylight and nighttime at different intervals, which is why we need different time zones for each region. Time zones are based on a solar day, thus why the sunrise, noon, and sunset all occur at relatively the same local time around the world. Moreover, time zones make communication about time easier as they allow accurate scheduling of transport from one place to another. Today, we are going to take a look at the Pacific Standard time and Eastern Standard Time, two very important time zones in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Pacific Standard Time
Pacific Standard Time is 8 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and is mainly used in North America. Pacific Standard Time is used in Canada, Mexico, United States. Starting from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday, March Pacific Standard time is used when Daylight Saving Time (DST) is not. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) is then effective for the rest of the year. The Pacific Standard Time(PST) is also consistent with Universal Time Coordinate (UTC) -8.
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone is a time zone including regions of western Mexico, western parts of the United States of America, and western parts of Canada. Areas in these regions observe standard time by deducting 8 hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-08:00). Furthermore, a daylight saving time period offset (UTC-07:00) is utilized yearly.
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time (EST) is the Easternmost time zone in the United States, Eastern Standard Time is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This time zone is usually in operation during standard time in Central America, North America, and the Caribbean and Atlantic Islands. A huge portion of the United States population lives in the Eastern Standard Time Zone. In the North American continent, the Eastern Standard Time shares a border with Atlantic Standard Time (AST) in the east and Central Standard Time in the West.
Differences Between Pacific Standard Time and Eastern Standard Time
The difference between Eastern Time and Pacific Time is three hours, this time difference is what separates these two very important time zones. The Pacific Standard Time (PST) is calculated by subtracting 8 hours from Coordinated Universal Time while (UTC). On the other hand, the Eastern Standard Time (EST) is calculated by subtracting 5 hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). For the Pacific Standard Time, the Coordinated Universal Time that is UTC is at a time variance of 8 hours ahead of this time zone. UTC -8 is also used to represent the latter. Pacific Standard Time is 8 hours behind UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) while Eastern Standard Time is 5 hours behind UTC.
During winter, Pacific Standard time is widely used, while Eastern Standard Time is used in specific regions during winter. The Eastern Time Zone is also referred to as North American standard time, while specific time is the name given to the Pacific time zone.
The average solar time for the Eastern Standard Time is best on the 75th Meridian west of the Greenwich observatory. However, the average time for Pacific time is set from the 120th Meridian for most of the Greenwich Observatory. Basically, when you move from the west coast to the East Coast, add 3 hours to your watch, when you move from the East coast to the west coast subtract 3 hours.
And finally, Eastern Time is the time zone followed in the eastern cities of the USA, Canada, and Mexico. It is 5 hours behind Universal Time during winters and 4 hours behind Universal Time during summers. Not all places in this time zone follow daylight saving. Pacific Time is the time zone followed in the western regions of Canada, Mexico, and the USA. It is behind the Universal Time 8 hours during winters and 7 hours behind during summers.
Which is the Best Time Zone to Live between the Pacific Time Zone and the Eastern Time Zone?
Most people residing in the United States of America prefer to live in the Eastern Time Zone. Major television networks in the USA follow Eastern Standard Time, and a majority of ‘LIVE’ TV coverage is anchored in Eastern Standard Time. Such live coverage events include Super Bowl and prestige award shows like the Oscars. Eastern Standard is considered very important because, despite the fact that Hollywood is in California, which is in the Pacific Time Zone, all the remaining vital networks are headquartered in New York City which is located in the Eastern Time Zone.
A huge percentage of the United States of America population (almost half of it) lives in the Eastern Time Zone, including huge markets that generate a lot of revenue such as New York/North Jersey, Washington DC/Maryland, and many others. Also, the New York Stock Exchange is located in the Eastern Time Zone. The stock exchange plays a vital role in not only numerous businesses, but also in the lives of many traders around the world.
People living in the Eastern Time Zone are the first ones to open business each day, while they also close their businesses earlier. The Eastern Time Zone plays a very crucial role in US elections since they are the first ones to vote. They get the election results earlier than people in other time zones, potentially affecting voting patterns in other time zones.
In reality, one time zone is not more important than the other. It just denotes the progression order of a day. The Eastern Time Zone has so many things happening so early that there is a time lag for businesses because the people in the Pacific Time Zone are still drinking their coffee.
Summary
Pacific Time and Eastern Time zones are two time zones used in different countries and regions. They will forever be 3 hours apart, for the time being, no pun intended! People who work across different time zones, such as transporters and pilots, will observe different time changes during the course of their day. This is easier to manage than before with our smartphones and smartwatches, thanks to modern technology.