Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-04-04
Regulate Your Watch.

III Is not generally Known that there
is available To every one most simple
and accurate method of regulating .
clock or watch. when access to stand
ard time nj short intervals is incOn-
venient or impossible 1t consists simply
in observing the time at which any
particular star sets, or passes the range
of two fixed objects on different nights.
! Ii is necessary To have the correct time
to start with: after that. clock NAV
I he kept within very few seconds of
standard time for any number of years
without any difficulty. The sun cannot
be used for this purpose. for the reason
| that there are only two DAYS in the year
when it is on the meridian of place at
noon by clock time. Ii may be aS much
rs fourteen and half minutes fast. or
sixteen and a quarter minutes slow on
different DAYS: and besides, the deter
minatiOn of its altitude with any degree
of accuracy requires the Use of special
instruments. and much skill in ol,Ser-
walton.
To determine the time by observation
of a star, on the contrary. is matter of
great ease. and no instruments are ne
ceSSary. The mode of operation is as
follows: Select two fixed points for y
range of observation. If a westerly
window can I've chosen which faces anv
building anywhere more than twenty
five to thirty feet distant, we have as
good post of observation as we can
desire Drive a nail or stick pin into
the window lamb: or. if anything more
g
metal, with Il very small hole in it To
sight through. III any convenient place,
so that you can observe the time any
star sets or sinks below the roof of the
adjacent building. or whatever may lie
chosen rs the more remote sight Then
choose some well-,leiined star. the bright
er the better and with Your time piece
set right, To start with, observe the time
it passes the range of your sights. The
exact time aS well also a. the date of
this observation. should be recorded; !;
then to find out at any subsequent time,
how much Your watch has varied from
correct time, observe the same star, and
recollect that it Setsjust three minutes
and ~, 909ii seconds earlier on any given
night than it did the preceding night
Thus if our first observation was taken
some night when theStar set AT ninehours.
ffteenminuteSandt twenty-thTee seconds;
and at our second observation. taken
Just one week later. it set at eight hours,
fOrty-seven minutes and fifty-twO Sec
Onds. we would knew that our watch
had kept correct time. Ii it set at eight
hours. forty-five minutes and fifty-twO
seconds. We would know that orr watch
or clock had lost two minutes during
the week And similarly for any other
variation If the time at which il had
set had been eight hours. forty-nine
minutes and iifty-twO seconds. we
see that our watch had gained two min
uteS, and 50 or.
Ii the location of our sights admits of
it, We should select a star So, as nearly
rs possible, from the pole star, for its
apparent motion will be greater than
that of one near the pole. and the liability
of error will he diminished. liza suitable
selection can be made. the error need
not he more than three or four seconds.
and it viii not he accumulative.
From the fact that any given star sets
nearly four minutes earlier each night.
il Is evident that it will after while
begin To set during daylight Before
this occurs it will be necessary To trans
fer tire time 10 some other star. which
sets later Thus we see that the later
in the evening our first observation is
taken, the longer the SIme star may be
used. To transfer the time, of course
is very simple, YOU merely have to oh
serve the star You have been using, note
the time, and also the error and rate of
variation of Your watch; then as late rs
convenient the same evening, select the
new star, not too near the horizon. OBJ
serve its time. and from the date of the
first observation, calculate the exact
time of its setting, or passing the range
of yOur sights. This is very simple
matter and requires no explanation.
Then Use the new star as long Is possible.
and trlnSSer to another and 81 on.