GPS users everywhere now almost take the ability to find their
exact location anywhere on Earth for granted. It has not always
been so. The problem of accuratly determine the longitude of a ship
at sea baffled the best minds of the seafaring nations for decades.
In 1714 the British Parliament set up a large prize to whomever
solved this riddle.
You can read a short summary here:
(visit link)
The solution to the problem was based upon the chronograph, a
precise watch that would keep time well, even on a ship rolling at
sea. At every port of call it would be customary to synchronize the
ships clock to a time signal. The time signal was usually sendt
from a observatory like this one. In Bergen there would be a ball
dropping from a pole at noon every day, visible to all ships in the
harbour. I have not found any information on old time signals in
Oslo, and would like to recieve any information you might have.
At the observatory they would keep time with a precise clock,
and do constant measurements against the stars to determine the
accuracy of the clock.
Nowadays the GPS gives us both precise time and position
anytime, anywhere in the World. But imagine for a while how it was
without it. Many lives have been lost at sea from navigational
errors.
As PPJ pointed out, Dava Sobel's book "Longitude" recounting
John Harrison's (the inventor of the ships chronograph) story is
highly recommended! -JHG- was rewarded my previously read copy of
this book as a FTF prize.
Please reinstall exactly as found. There is a pencil in this
cache.
NOTE: I would advice to plan visits away from
working hours, otherwise the cache can be impossible to get
unnoticed.
Beatyschka gave me nice link with background
history.