Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Harrison's Chronometer H5


14 comments:

O Docker said...

It is truly remarkable just what's available online through CSN Stores.

Tillerman said...

Sadly this item is out of stock at CSN Stores. If you want to buy it you will have to talk to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.

Good luck with that one.

Pat said...

Oooh, the H5!!! The chronometer that really brought Longitude to the naval community.

Tillerman said...

Exactly Pat. And for anyone interested in the full story I can sincerely recommend Dava Sobel's book Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time.

Tim said...

I thought H5, and the rest of Harrison's clocks (H1 to H4) were in the ownership of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich?

Excellent museum, well worth the visit if you are ever in London.

It is also the only place on earth where you can actually stand in both the East, and the West, at the same time.

Tillerman said...

I think H1 through H4 are at Greenwich. There is a lot of information about them here.

Why is Greenwich the only place on earth where you can actually stand in East and West at the same time? Surely you can do this at any place on the Prime Meridian which passes through the UK, France, Spain and several African countries and Antarctica. Not to mention that the 180 degrees longitude line also goes through various lands.

Anonymous said...

Why only at Greenwich can you stand east and west? Because Greenwich is the only place on earth that counts for such things, sez the Brit with nose firmly in the air above the stiff upper lip....
Actually, as a ME-centric North American, any time I'm facing South or North I have one foot standing in the East half of the globe and the other in the West.

Chris said...

Actually, Tim, that's not quite correct. You could go to the South Pole (they do allow summer visitors), stand on the Pole and do the Hoky Poky through all 24 time zones, if you really want to.

my2fish said...

do you think the penguins will mind if we put our backsides in, and shake them all about?

Tillerman said...

There are no penguins at the South Pole. It is too cold and too far from the sea for them.

Baydog said...

I didn't know you were a Penguin person! Jeez.

Tillerman said...

All this penguin talk! After Furniture Week and Wordless Week, I may have to have a Penguin Week.

Pat said...

So if you have to do without the penguins can't you just get a guy in a tux?

Tillerman said...

But I believe it is true that the London Marathon is the only marathon that runs through both hemispheres. I did it, so I must have crossed the Prime Meridian twice that day. Surprised I didn't trip over it.

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