Epoch2 knowledge base
Epoch2 answers
Straightforward explanations of epoch seconds, milliseconds, UTC, GMT offsets, named zones and date conversion.
Epoch2 questions and answers
What does an epoch timestamp represent?
Epoch time identifies an instant by counting from 00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970. Most Unix systems count seconds; many browser and application APIs count milliseconds.
How can I tell seconds from milliseconds?
Modern timestamps in seconds are commonly 10 digits, while millisecond values are commonly 13 digits. Epoch2 lets you choose either unit and automatically switches when you paste a likely value.
How do I read an epoch value as a date?
Enter or paste the number, verify the seconds or milliseconds setting, and pick a time zone. Epoch2 immediately shows the local date plus an ISO 8601 representation.
How do I create a timestamp from a date?
Choose the time zone that gives the date its meaning, enter the local date and time, then copy the generated result as epoch seconds or epoch milliseconds.
Does changing the time zone change the timestamp?
No. A timestamp points to one universal instant. The selected zone only changes how that instant is displayed, or how an entered wall-clock date is interpreted on the way back to epoch time.
Which time zones are available?
You can use UTC, familiar fixed offsets such as GMT+2, or named IANA zones such as Europe/Sofia, America/New_York and Asia/Tokyo. Named zones include daylight-saving and historical offset rules.
Can Epoch2 handle pre-1970 dates and decimal values?
Yes. Negative timestamps refer to moments before the Unix epoch, and fractional seconds are accepted when an epoch value is converted into a date.
Why is January 19, 2038 important?
That is when signed 32-bit epoch seconds overflow. Current 64-bit systems avoid the narrow 32-bit range and can represent dates much farther into the future.
Does Epoch2 send my dates anywhere?
No. The calculations stay in your browser. Epoch2 stores only your chosen time zone and color-mode preference locally on that device.