UTC is the international atomic time scale that serves as the basis of timekeeping for most people. The hours, minutes, and seconds expressed by UTC represent the time of day at the Prime Meridian (0º longitude) near Greenwich, England, as reckoned from midnight.
UTC is calculated by the Bureau International des Poids et Measures (BIPM) in Sevres, France. The BIPM averages data gathered from more than 200 atomic time and frequency standards located at about 50 laboratories globally.
UTC is the basis for all civil time, with the world divided into time zones expressed as positive or negative differences from UTC. UTC is also referred to as “Zulu time.” See the Standard Time Zones of the World, covered with a Reference Map.