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Description
A large variety of devices have been invented to measure time. The study of these devices is called horology.
An Egyptian device that dates to c.1500 BC, similar in shape to a bent T-square, measured the passage of time from the shadow cast by its crossbar on a nonlinear rule. The T was orientated eastward in the mornings. At noon, the device was turned around so that it could cast its shadow in the evening direction.
A sundial uses a gnomon to cast a shadow on a set of markings calibrated to the hour. The position of the shadow marks the hour in local time.
The most precise timekeeping device of the ancient world was the water clock, or clepsydra, one of which was found in the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I (1525–1504 BC). They could be used to measure the hours even at night, but required manual upkeep to replenish the flow of water. The Ancient Greeks and the people from Chaldea (southeastern Mesopotamia) regularly maintained timekeeping records as an essential part of their astronomical observations. Arab inventors and engineers in particular made improvements on the use of water clocks up to the Middle Ages. In the 11th century, Chinese inventors and engineers invented the first mechanical clocks driven by an escapement mechanism.
The hourglass uses the flow of sand to measure the flow of time. They were used in navigation. Ferdinand Magellan used 18 glasses on each ship for his circumnavigation of the globe (1522). Incense sticks and candles were, and are, commonly used to measure time in temples and churches across the globe. Waterclocks, and later, mechanical clocks, were used to mark the events of the abbeys and monasteries of the Middle Ages. Richard of Wallingford (1292–1336), abbot of St. Alban's abbey, famously built a mechanical clock as an astronomical orrery about 1330. Great advances in accurate time-keeping were made by Galileo Galilei and especially Christiaan Huygens with the invention of pendulum driven clocks.
The English word clock probably comes from the Middle Dutch word klocke—which, in turn, derives from the mediaeval Latin word clocca, which ultimately derives from Celtic and is cognate with French, Latin, and German words that mean bell. The passage of the hours at sea were marked by bells, and denoted the time (see ship's bell). The hours were marked by bells in abbeys as well as at sea.
Clocks can range from watches, to more exotic varieties such as the Clock of the Long Now. They can be driven by a variety of means, including gravity, springs, and various forms of electrical power, and regulated by a variety of means such as a pendulum.
A chronometer is a portable timekeeper that meets certain precision standards. Initially, the term was used to refer to the marine chronometer, a timepiece used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation, a precision firstly achieved by John Harrison. More recently, the term has also been applied to the chronometer watch, a watch that meets precision standards set by the Swiss agency COSC.
Please take TIME to ZOOOOOOM.
Have a nice day.
Comments (12)
Cyve
Fantastic capture !
wonderworld
The clock freak in me loves this!! I have over sixty cool clocks in m house.....
Juliette.Gribnau
cool collection !
MrsRatbag
What a wonderful shot! So much to see, so many details...and I love the postwork!
alanwilliams
you must have had time on your hands to devise his fascinating shot, well, somebody had to say it
jayfar
You can have a large 'tick' for this one.
durleybeachbum
Very interesting picture.
Celart
Lovely still life
sandra46
very nice
whaleman
It's funny that time is a man-made concept that seems to rule our lives!
wysiwig
We spend our lives rushing to get to work on time, meet deadlines, racing to meetings and work late hours. And in a final irony, when you retire they give you a watch.
JuliSonne
Tick tack, tick tack.... class presentation!