8 Comments on “”

1. katry Says:

   
   December 30, 2014 at 1:09 pm

   Hal Borland quote
2. minicapt Says:

   
   December 30, 2014 at 3:54 pm

   1. It’s not the New Year, and already someone dropped the ball.
   2. If the ball does not bounce, it cannot be followed.

   Cheers
   • katry Says:

     
     December 30, 2014 at 8:09 pm

     minicapt,
     I think if it bounces too slowly or too quickly it again cannot be followed.
3. Bob Says:

   
   December 30, 2014 at 10:55 pm

   The ball in Times Square is a time ball. These were used at the Royal Observatory to tell the ships anchored in the Themes river below when it was one o’clock in the afternoon. Each ship had a very accururate chronometer that had to be set to the exact time at the prime meridian which goes through Greenwich where the observatory is located. The astronomers would check the sun’s position for high noon and then lower the ball an hour later. The ship’s navigators would set their chronometers exactly when the ball reached the bottom of the pole. The difference between the local time and the time at the prime meridian is how navigators could calculate their latitude before GPS was invented. Incidentally cabin boys on British ships had the important job of wearing the key to wind the chronometer around their necks.
   • katry Says:

     
     December 30, 2014 at 11:05 pm

     Bob,
     Thanks for all that-I didn’t know anything except it is a time bell and made with Waterford glass.

     I find that history intriguing.
     • Bob Says:

       
       December 30, 2014 at 11:22 pm

       The chronometer was invented by John Harrison in the 18th century. The King offered a prize to the man who could figure out how to determine latitude at sea.

       Here’s a URL for a Nova episode about the search for longitude.

       http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/longitude/
     • Bob Says:

       
       December 30, 2014 at 11:24 pm

       Oops, not latitude but longitude.

       Sorry
     • katry Says:

       
       December 31, 2014 at 12:13 am

       Thanks, Bob
       I am always amazed at the cleverness of people who see a need then figure put how to meet that need.

Comments are closed.