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Maritime Related


Chief5130

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I am currently on vacation and stopped in Greenwich for a visit.

Below is the line that defines GMT.  Time being important if you want to know your longitude.  For many years it was a best guess and was expensive with ship wrecks when you did not.  Having read the book Longitude, I had to go see the clocks that Mr. Harrison developed to solve the problem.  He made 4 different clocks before he got it accurate and practical enough to work.

The red ball on the top of the building is raised just before 1:00 GMT and dropped exactly at 1:00 pm.  This is / was done so the ships can set their clocks to the exact time to use for navigation.  Someone was selected to watch and record when the ball dropped.  This is where the term "Keep you eye on the ball" comes from.

If you are looking for a good read, I recommend Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dave Sobel.   You will have a new appreciation for you GPS.

 

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