Sage-Tips

How do clocks determine longitude?

Your clock doesn’t say 12:00 noon, it says 6:00 AM since it’s still set on Greenwich time. In fact, if you know the difference in time between Greenwich noon (what your clock says) and local noon (when the sun is at the highest point), you can find your longitude. This time difference is essentially your longitude.

How would you determine your longitude using a Harrison chronometer?

Longitude is measured east and west from the Prime Meridian. To determine “longitude by chronometer,” a navigator requires a chronometer set to the local time at the Prime Meridian.

How do you determine latitude and longitude?

Android: Open Google Maps; it will zoom to your approximate location. Press and hold on the screen to drop a pin marker. Click on the dropped pin; latitude and longitude will be displayed below the map. If you don’t have Google Maps, you can install a free GPS app before heading to your site.

How does the Harrison clock work?

During the mid-1720s he designed a series of remarkable precision longcase clocks. These clocks achieved an accuracy of one second in a month, far better than any clocks of the time. In order to solve the problem of Longitude, Harrison aimed to devise a portable clock which kept time to within three seconds a day.

How do you read a nautical clock?

Ship’s Bell Time

1. First Watch, 8pm to Midnight (20:00 to 00:00 hours)
2. Middle Watch, Midnight to 4am (00:00 to 04:00 hours)
3. Morning Watch, 4am to 8am (04:00 to 08:00 hours)
4. Forenoon Watch, 8am to Noon (08:00 to 12:00 hours)
5. Afternoon Watch, Noon to 4pm (12:00 to 16:00 hours)

How do latitudes and longitudes help in locating a point?

The intersection of latitude and longitude points out the exact position of a place on the earth’s surface. For example, London is situated at 51°30’N (latitude) and 0.5 W (longitude). With the help of these intersecting lines, it is convenient to locate the position of London on the map.

How did Harrison’s clock work?

What was the problem with using clocks to calculate longitude?

The clock method required a device to keep the time set at Greenwich, or an equivalent fixed location. But finding a timepiece that could withstand a range of temperatures, the rocky motion of a ship and exposure to storms and winds was quite tough in the age of pendulum clocks.