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Centuries-Old Longitude Clock Runs Again

Posted by Hemos on from the and-the-old-shall-become-new-again dept.

douglips writes "BBC News has published a story about John Harrison's H4 chronometer and how it has been wound up for the UK's National Science Week. After 40 years of work [Harrison] proved in 1764 that a clock could be used to locate a ship's position at sea with extraordinary accuracy." Ah, the GPS system of its day. T. adds: This is the timekeeping device which Dava Sobel wrote about in Longitude .

2 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. The H clocks are cool and on display by thogard · · Score: 5, Funny

    They are at the greenwich museum. The early clocks were made mostly of brass so they are big shiny metal things. With enough Lego's you could make your own working copy.

    The Museum is in Greenwich England. Its at 51 degrees, 28 minutes 38 seconds north of the Equator but I don't remember what its longitiude is but its close to London.

  2. Re:good example of a disruptive technology by SevenTowers · · Score: 3, Funny

    and how the hell do you know its solar noon?

    --
    Imperium et libertas
    Autocracy and freedom