117 points by austinallegro 10 days ago | 33 comments
ACES on its way to orbit: Ultra-precise European atomic clocks now in space(esa.int) ESA’s Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) is on its way to the International Space Station to redefine how we measure time – from space. Using its two cutting-edge clocks and an advanced time transfer system, ACES will deliver the most accurate time signal ever transmitted from space and connect the world’s best clocks to test fundamental physics from orbit, including Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
NIST Atomic Timekeeping: Plans to Cut Team Responsible(wired.com) The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is discussing plans to eliminate an entire team responsible for publishing and maintaining critical atomic measurement data in the coming weeks, as the Trump administration continues its efforts to reduce the US federal workforce, according to a March 18 email sent to dozens of outside scientists.
Lunase moon phase watch mechanism(genuineideas.com) Before there were clocks there were the heavens. The sun to mark the day and the moon to light the night- their shadows counting down the hours. Overhead, celestial bodies arced across the sky, charting a map to the seasons and subtly precessing across the centuries.
Unix Time and a Modest Proposal(johndcook.com) It seems our choices are to add leap seconds and endure the resulting confusion, or not add leap seconds and allow the year to drift with respect to the day. There is a third way that deserves more consideration: adjust the position of the earth periodically to keep the solar year equal to an average Gregorian calendar day.
Major leap for nuclear clock paves way for ultraprecise timekeeping(nist.gov) A powerful laser shines into a jet of gas, creating a bright plasma and generating ultraviolet light. The light leaves a visible white line as it interacts with leftover gas in the vacuum chamber. This process helps scientists precisely measure the energy needed to excite the thorium-229 nucleus, which is the core of a future nuclear clock.
The Principles of Mr. Harrison's Time-Keeper(incoherency.co.uk) This post is a transcription, plus some commentary, of the Board of Longitude's 1767 document "The Principles
of Mr. Harrison's Time-keeper", from scans on the University of
Cambridge Digital Library.
62 points by surprisetalk 180 days ago | 14 comments
The Sundial Cannon of Åtvidaberg (2017)(amusingplanet.com) In the not-too-distant past, before the invention of modern timekeeping devices, noontime —the moment when the sun is at the highest position in the sky— held special significance.