[DALI] timestamp format

Steve Allen sla at ucolick.org
Thu Nov 7 10:40:55 PST 2013


On Thu 2013-11-07T10:56:23 -0700, Rob Seaman hath writ:
> The 1988 standard is available here:
>
>       http://metric1.org/8601.pdf
>
> If a statement "local in astronomy means UTC" isn't sufficient,
> somebody may want to buy the current standard

I have the third edition ISO 8601:2004(E), but as I noted previously I
think it is not relevant for FITS.  In particular I think that its
text requires that the designation 'Z' must mean the time scale is UTC.

In astronomical applications that introduces another problem because
we would have to avoid software that adds the 'Z' if the time scale is
GPS, TAI, UT1, or any date prior to the (arguably ambiguous date for
the) inception of UTC.

--
Steve Allen                 <sla at ucolick.org>                WGS-84 (GPS)
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