ACCURACY OF BIG BEN.
ADJUSTMENT BY HALFPENCE. The Astronomer Royal, Sir Frank Dyson, recently wrote to the Times drawing attention to the. excellent performance of Big Ben. During the year which ended on April 30 il was compared on 288 days at the I toy at Observatory, and on only 21 days did its error reach more than Is, the maximum being 1.45. This is an admirable record for a tower clock which is going continuously. Explaining how the error is kept so small, the Astronomer Royal wrote: —A tray is fixed about halfway down the pendulum, and when the clock is losing slightly a. halfpenny or a penny is placed on the tray. This makes the pendulum vibrate slightly more quickly and gradually brings the clock to time. If the clock is gaining a halfpenny or a penny is removed. As it takes a fifth of a second for the sound of Big Ben to reach the bottom of the tower, and about a couple of seconds to reach Trafalgar Square, the limits of reasonable accuracy have been reached. It is only for astronomical purposes (bat .more is required.
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Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4486, 2 August 1930, Page 1
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190ACCURACY OF BIG BEN. Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4486, 2 August 1930, Page 1
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