Why are Some Cannons Fired at Noon?
The noon or midday gun is a traditional time signal: a cannon fired precisely at midday so ships in port could set their chronometers correctly.…
Tag: chronometer
Time, Sun and Longitude
I have just returned from Scotland, where I have been doing some more research for the book I’m working on. In Edinburgh, I had the…
Tide and the Big Clock
Time and navigation have a cosy relationship, as John Harrison, inventor of the chronometer that cracked the longitude problem in the 18th Century would attest.…