Difference Between EST and MST

‘EST’ vs ‘MST’

We all know that earth is a sphere and that it rotates on its axis around the sun so different places have different time zones. While it is nighttime in one end, it is daytime in another.

The earth’s time zone is bounded by longitudinal lines that have uniform standards or local time. There are 24 main time zones that are based on the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Time zones are adjusted when seasons change. ‘Standard time’ zone is changed to ‘daylight savings time’ zone or ‘summer time’ zone during summer which is typically standard time plus one hour.

The Western hemisphere has the Eastern Time Zone (ET), also known as the North American Eastern Standard Time (NAEST). Along the east coast of North America this is called the Eastern Standard Time (EST) during winter and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) during summer.

In North America, there is also the Mountain Time Zone (MTZ) during the shortest days of autumn and winter. In the United States and Canada, this is called Mountain Time (MT) or Mountain Standard Time (MST) at standard time and Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) at daylight savings time.

‘MST’ is UTC-7 or UTC-6 and is based on the mean solar time of the 105th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. It is one hour ahead of Pacific Time Zone and one hour behind Central Time Zone.

Large cities that are in the MST include Phoenix, Arizona and the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, North Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, Nevada, and Montana. It also includes the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and the Northwestern Territories.

‘EST’ is UTC-4 or UTC-5 and is based on the mean solar time of the 75th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. Since the capital of the United States and its biggest city are located in the EST, it is the official time that is used in the United States. Events are reported and most television networks air their shows using EST.

There are several states that observe EST; Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and West Virginia.

The Canadian provinces and territories of Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut, and Iqaluit also observe EST. So do the countries of Mexico, Panama, and several other South American countries.

Summary:

1. Mountain Standard Time (MST) is UTC-7 or UTC-6 while Eastern Standard Time (EST) is UTC-5 or UTC-4.
2. Mountain Standard Time is based on the mean solar time of the 105th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory while Eastern Standard Time is based on the mean solar time of the 75th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory.
3. Eastern Standard Time is the de facto time of the United States because the capital is located in this time zone while the Mountain Standard Time is not.
4. Several states are observing EST including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut while the states of Texas, Kansas, Utah, and Arizona observe MST.

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