The discovery of longitude - Joan Marie Galat

Discover the fascinating story behind one of the most important changes to nautical navigation in this nonfiction book for young readers. More than 300 years ago, explorers wandered the seas at the mercy of starless nights and stormy weather. They followed the shoreline, navigating by recognizable landmarks and the stars, but often became lost or wrecked on the rocky coast. What they needed to know in order to navigate safely was the longitude of their location, but for that they needed accurate timekeeping. Unfortunately, no accurate source of time measurement at sea existed. In 1714, the British government decided to offer a reward to anyone who could solve the problem. The elite and educated tried unsuccessfully to work out a solution and declared it unsolvable! Carpenter and clockmaker John Harrison was intrigued. He worked for years to design a clock that functioned accurately at sea, even though no one believed he would succeed. Even after his timepiece consistently proved to be accurate over several sea crossings, he was still not acknowledged for his ingenious solution. It took many years and royal intervention to grant Harrison the recognition and reward he deserved. A detailed map of the world in the 1700s and a timeline of Harrisons work on the longitude problem are included in this triumphant tale of ingenuity and innovation.