Magical Navigational Chart

Author: Joan Dash
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: This book tells the story of John Harrison, a British man who invented the "Magic Nautical Chronometer." Determining longitude (east-west position) and latitude (north-south position) is crucial when ships sail at sea. In ancient times, Greek and Roman sailors determined the distance of their ships from the equator, which is the latitude position of the ships, by observing the height of the North Star above the horizon or the height of the noon sun. Until the mid-18th century, longitude remained a frustrating, mysterious unknown. For safety, whether merchant ships, warships, or even pirates, all gathered along familiar, fully navigable routes based on latitude, because longitude was the sailors' dream, their misfortune, their curse, and even their mortal enemy. John Harrison, a clockmaker from the countryside, overcame countless failures, endured repeated tests and hardships, and devoted 40 years of his life to finally inventing an extraordinary and miraculous timekeeping device—the Magic Nautical Chronometer. Determining longitude (east-west position) and latitude (north-south position) is crucial when ships sail at sea. In ancient times, Greek and Roman sailors determined the distance of their ships from the equator, which is the latitude position of the ships, by observing the height of the North Star above the horizon or the height of the noon sun. Until the mid-18th century, longitude remained a frustrating, mysterious unknown. For safety, whether merchant ships, warships, or even pirates, all gathered along familiar, fully navigable routes based on latitude, because longitude was the sailors' dream, their misfortune, their curse, and even their mortal enemy. John Harrison, a clockmaker from the countryside, overcame countless failures, endured repeated tests and hardships, and devoted 40 years of his life to finally inventing an extraordinary and miraculous timekeeping device—the Magic Nautical Chronometer.