b>GREENWICH TIME AND THE LONGITUDE
by Derek Howse
This beautifully illustrated
book is a classic among historical accounts of Greenwich Time and its relationship
with longitude. It relates the progress of Greenwich Time from 1676,
when it was first established for use at the new Royal Observatory, to
the present day when it has become the basis for timekeeping the world
over.
It is also the story
of finding the longitude at sea, which was the specific problem that the
Observatory was founded to solve. Greenwich became a household name
when in 1884 its longitude was chosen as the Prime Meridian.
Relevant developments
in astronomy, navigation, and timekeeping are explained in simple terms - including
the atomic clock, GPS and the leap second, and Co-ordinated Universal Time.
Appendices include finding time by lunar distance, lunar eclipse, and eclipses
of Jupiter’s satellites. HC, 1997, 199 pgs.SW 2.2 lbs.
b>GREENWICH TIME AND THE LONGITUDE