Definition: UTC

(Coordinated Universal Time, Temps Universel Coordonné) The international time standard (formerly Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT). Zero hours UTC is midnight in Greenwich, England, which is located at 0 degrees longitude. Everything east of Greenwich (up to 180 degrees) is later in time; everything west is earlier. For example, the Eastern Standard time zone in the U.S. is UTC minus 5. Therefore, 18:00 UTC (6:00 pm) would be 1:00 pm in New York.

There are 42 time authorities around the world that are constantly synchronizing with each other. In the U.S., the time authorities are located at the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) and the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST). See NTP.