Varying in price, atomic clocks have a radio receiver that picks up the broadcast from Fort Collins. Insert a battery and the clock will automatically adjust to the correct time, including daylight savings time, and make leap year adjustments. Ham radio operators schedule meetings and conversations, knowing that participants can rely on the accuracy of the time. Solar activity that can affect radio transmissions and marine storm warnings are regularly announced in addition to the accurate time. Amateur astronomers with shortwave radios and telescopes have used time signals to measure the size of asteroids passing in front of stars.
Software is available to connect computers into the atomic clock.
The world's residents may never know where time goes, but they can count the number of seconds it takes to arrive at its mysterious destination.