Yes, I learned something from Philip (per normal)! Max Dillon Charleston SC
Jan 1, 2020 1:54:34 PM fmiser via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com>: > > > Bob wrote: > > > > > > In Flagstaff they lower a pinecone from an old hotel balcony. In > > Prescott, the lower a cowboy boot from a flagpole on a bar’s > > roof. A flip-flop at the redneck Riviera seems reasonable. > > > > All of which are distortions of a time ball, a time reference for > ship navigators. > > In the days of chronometer as the means of figuring longitude - > but before the days of radio, the major shipping ports would have > a structure with a tower and a ball that could drop. This was to > allow the ships within sight to synchronize their chronometers to > reference time before departing. > > The ball would be raise 5 min before the time mark, and on the > time mark it would be dropped. Not lowered slowly - but the > usually 10 m/s^2 of gravity. The beginning of the ball moving was > the reference point in time. 12:00 and 13:00 were both common time > marks, mostly depending on the country. > > As radios became prevalent, the need for time balls passed. > > There! I suspect most of you have now learned something new this > year. > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
