People with Internet access can synchronise their computer clocks to HK Standard Time using the HK Observatory's network time service.
It uses a Caesium beam atomic clock to maintain HK Standard Time, our official global time.
Whenever a request for a time check is received from a user's computer, the observatory's Internet time server will return a time message based on HK Standard Time.
The user's computer then uses the received time message and the time delay in receiving the return message to adjust its clock.
Since its introduction in 1999, the service has become increasingly popular. Last year, the Internet time server was accessed over 155 million times. During the first eight months of this year, the average daily number of time checks exceeded 600,000.
This reflects an increasing demand for accurate time, which is in line with the growth of e-trade and other e-business where transactions have to be accurately time-stamped.
Accurate time good for business
Among those using the observatory's network time service are Internet service providers, the Trade Development Council, local tertiary institutions and other corporate users who require accurate time to run their business.
The service is simple to use. Personal computer owners can synchronise their computer clocks to HK Standard Time by setting the observatory's Internet time server "stdtime.gov.hk" as the network time server, either in the operating system (in the case of Windows XP) or in a time client software which can be downloaded free.
Details can be found on the observatory's website.
More accurate than time checks overseas
Although there are many network time servers around the world, for users in Hong Kong, time checking through the observatory's time server will provide more accuracy than time checks with servers overseas due to differences in signal transmission time over the Internet.
Being the official timekeeper of Hong Kong, the observatory also calibrates chronometers for various government departments to facilitate law-enforcement operations.
Observatory Scientific Officer Chan Ying-wa said: "Every year, the observatory helps Police and the Marine Department calibrate chronometers that are used for detecting high-speed vehicles on the road and vessels at sea.
"Calibrated chronometers are also used to check the duration of dark smoke emission from chimneys by the Environmental Protection Department and in testing construction materials by the Housing Department."
More ways to keep accurate time
People without Internet access can check the time by dialling 2926 1133 for the observatory's Telephone Information Enquiry System, which provides on average 120,000 time checks a year.
People can also check their clocks against the six-pip time signals which are broadcast by various RTHK channels according to pre-set schedules.
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