Thursday 29 May 2003 16:00

B. Velicky
(Theoretical department, Institute of Physics ASCR, Prague and Department of electronic structures, Faculty of mathematics and physics, Charles University, Prague)
Astronomers, clockmakers, mariners

Abstract:
Ever since Columbus' journey to West Indies, open sea navigation was facing the severe problem of finding the geographical longitude of the ship. After centuries of concerted but failing efforts to resolve the problem, in the middle of the 18th century two suitable competing solutions were proposed, one based on astronomical observations of Moon, the other on the use of a highly precise clock, marine chronometer. The two approaches were personalized by the fifth Royal Astronomer N. Maskelyne and by a clockmaker J. Harrison.