Deep space atomic clock1/22/2024 ![]() According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the resonator is “ regulated by the frequency of the microwave electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by the quantum transition (energy change) of an atom or molecule“. What is an atomic clock? It is a clock that uses the resonance frequencies of atoms as its resonator (instead of a pendulum or a balance). In order to assist “new explorers” in their tasks, there is the Atomic Clock, ultra-precise, ultra-complex clocks that can determine time with atomic accuracy (if you fancy an atomic clock for your mantlepiece, Urwerk has just the model for you). We have developed new technologies to assist navigation, such as GPS, electronic or communications aids. ![]() In today’s world, there’s no real need for a marine chronometer. Surprisingly, it appears that knowing time is still an important factor today for safe navigation… even in space. ![]() As the Earth rotates at a regular rate, the time difference between the chronometer and the ship’s local time can be used to calculate the longitude of the ship relative to the Greenwich Meridian (defined as 0°) using spherical trigonometry. The purpose of a chronometer is to accurately measure the time of a known fixed location (GMT for instance). To find their longitude, explorers needed a time standard that would work onboard. John Harrison’s marine chronometer… the ancestor of the modern atomic clocks Navigators could determine their latitude by measuring the sun’s angle but not longitude (that might explain why Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas instead of the East Indies). However, accurate navigation at sea, out of sight of land, was highly problematic due to the impossibility of calculating longitude. To determine a position on the Earth’s surface, it is necessary to know the latitude, longitude, and altitude – altitude can be ignored for vessels operating at sea level. A necessary tool for navigation, marine chronometers provided accurate time readings during long sea voyages. ![]() Navigating in the middle of oceans without a single reference point was dangerous and the advent of the marine chronometer was hailed as a major technical achievement. This explains the reason behind the creation, back in the 18th-century, of marine chronometers – precise and accurate portable time standards fixed to the deck of a vessel. Time can, in this instance, be used to determine longitude by accurately measuring the time of a known fixed location. Something that maritime explorers were quick to understand. When travelling, it can take on an entirely different dimension. Even though technology has evolved (to say the least), the concept remains the same for space trips… And NASA is about to launch a piece of equipment that will drastically change the way astronauts navigate – and yes, the underlying idea is to help them navigate to Mars and beyond! Navigation and timeĪs surprising as it might be, time isn’t just a notion of “what time it is”. In order to calculate their position around the globe (establishing their latitude and longitude), they needed to have one heck of a precise clock onboard – marine chronometers back then. Knowing the time onboard a ship/vessel/spacecraft/vehicle isn’t just about knowing “what time it is”… It goes far beyond that! 18th-century maritime explorers knew that.
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