POWER PLAY Solving the Longitude Challenge 300-Year-Old Discovery Remains Vital to Scientific Research Today Photo courtesy of the National Maritime Museum, London.

Global position is described ture of astronomical and timekeeper teur and professional scientists to help by two coordinates, latitude methods, ultimately leading to the solve some of today’s greatest global and longitude. Lines of latitude successful determination of longitude challenges. The Longitude Commit- measure positions north and south at sea. As solutions were developed, tee (led by Astronomer Lord Martin and run parallel to the equator. Lines the Royal Observatory became a test- Rees) brought together more than 40 of longitude run pole to pole and mea- ing site for marine timekeepers and the scientists, engineers and politicians sure positions east and west. Latitude place at which the astronomical obser- to discuss global challenges in energy, is easy to measure from the sun. Lon- vations needed for navigational tables environment, global development, gitude presents a bigger challenge. In were made. It was this work that would technology/robotics, communications the early 1700s, countries including eventually lead to Greenwich becom- and health and wellbeing. Spain, the Netherlands, and France of- ing the home of the Prime Meridian, After a heated debate, the British gen- fered rewards for solving the longitude zero degrees longitude for the world. eral public had the opportunity to vote problem. But it was Britain that the ap- To mark the tercentennial of the on the proposed area of concentration proach paid off as a result of the 1714 Longitude Act of 1714, a new exhibi- for the Longitude Prize 2014 and the Longitude Act. tion at the National Maritime Museum public chose antibiotics. The challenge In 1714, the British Government of- (located in Greenwich) runs from July is to create a cost-effective, accurate, fered, by Act of Parliament, £20,000 for 2014 to January 2015 called, “Ships, rapid and easy-to-use test for bacterial a solution which could find longitude Clocks & Stars: The Quest for Longi- infections that will allow health profes- to within half a degree (equivalent to tude.” This exhibition draws the latest sionals to administer the right antibi- 2 minutes of time), and a group later research to shed new light on the his- otics at the right time. The Longitude known as the Board of Longitude was tory of longitude and how it changed Committee and Nesta are finalizing the set up to assess submissions and offer our understanding of the world. criteria for how to win the £10 million rewards. These experts included the Highlights from the exhibition in- prize. Contestants will have five years Astronomer Royal at Greenwich and clude all five of Harrison’s famous to solve the challenge. The success of other scientific, maritime and political timekeepers. H1, H2, H3 and H4 will this research will mirror that of the in- leaders. It was considered by many one move from the Royal Observatory ventors, scientists and curiosity seekers of the greatest scientific challenges of Greenwich to be displayed in the Na- that came together back in 1714. For the century. tional Maritime Museum for the first more information, visit www.rmg.co.uk One of the remarkable things about time in nearly 30 years. H5 is being or www.longitudeprize.org. the longitude story is that two practi- loaned from the Worshipful Company cal solutions were developed at the of Clockmakers. Also featured is the same time. In the field of mechanical original Longitude Act of 1714, timekeeping, John Harrison, a work- which has never been on ing-class joiner and clockmaker with public display before; an little formal education came closest to intricate 1747 model receiving the reward money through of the Centurion, the his extraordinary mechanical talent ship which car- and determination, culminating in his ried out the first marine timekeeper, H4. This would proper sea trial become the instrument known as of Harrison’s H1, the marine chronometer. At the same and the elegant, time, the work of John Hadley, German padded silk astronomer Tobias Mayer and others ‘observing suit’ perfected the instruments and astro- worn by Nevil nomical tables necessary for the lunar Maskelyne at the distance method. Greenwich was cen- Royal Observatory tral to the story. during the 1760s. Above all, Astronomer Royal Nevil If exhibitions and Maskelyne’s observations at the Royal celebrations weren’t Observatory, his work on the Nautical enough, The Longitude Almanac and the Board of Longitude Prize 2014 was launched this demonstrated the complementary na- year to bring together both ama-

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