US Naval Observatory Time Ball - Washington D.C. USA
Posted by: Tprints
N 38° 55.255 W 077° 03.960
18S E 320894 N 4310029
A Time Ball located at the US Naval Observatory.
Waymark Code: WMGFP9
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 02/27/2013
Views: 30
The U.S. Naval Observatory hoisted a time ball into place on the roof of its main building back in 1999. This time ball was the official marker of the beginning of the year 2000 and the beginning of the Third Millennium in 2001.
The Naval Observatory first dropped this time ball in 1845. This was the primary means for disseminating time to the city of Washington and for ships on the Potomac to set their chronometers for navigation.
The ball was dropped every day at noon from the Observatory's Foggy Bottom site until 1885, when it was moved to the State, War and Navy Building. It was last dropped there in 1936.
Now it is back at the Naval Observatory. You can take a tour to view the ball closer or just view it from different vantage points from outside the circular fence surrounding the USNO.
Type: Time Ball
In service: yes
Time of signal: 12.00
Year established (if known): 1845
Year decommissioned (if applicable): 1936
Address: 3450 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
Weblink (if any): [Web Link]
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