Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihopa.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!ihopa!dap From: dap@ihopa.UUCP (afsd) Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Re: Atomic clocks - Who knows if they're correct? Message-ID: <163@ihopa.UUCP> Date: Sun, 19-Feb-84 15:46:16 EST Article-I.D.: ihopa.163 Posted: Sun Feb 19 15:46:16 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 20-Feb-84 08:23:39 EST References: <229@heurikon.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 20 I've got a question that is related to Jeffrey Mattox's question regarding atomic clocks. EVERY clock, even atomic ones, are not in perfect agreement with the sun so that sooner or later they are going to show the time as midnight when the sun is high in the sky. I realize that this is going to be next to forever before it happens, but assuming we don't all go up in World War III or some kind of solar conflagration, it is inevitable. My question is: What is going to happen? Is there some sort of committee to keep track of this drift and reset the atomic clock if necessary? If so, how do they recognize that a drift has taken place? It would require a more accurate clock that the atomic clock to detect it unless somebody just happens to notice that the sun is setting at 3AM on the equator. I think that this is just an academic question and the sun itself may noticeably slow down before this happens (more properly, at least from our solar system's viewpoint, the earth may slow down) but I'm wondering if anyone has any contingency plans for this future drift or if we're going to let night slowly drift into day. Darrell Plank ihnp4!ihopa!dap