Time and Navigation

This exhibition is now closed.

If you want to know where you are, you need an accurate clock.

This surprising connection between time and place has been crucial for centuries. About 250 years ago, sailors first used accurate clocks to navigate the oceans. Today we locate ourselves on the globe with synchronized clocks in orbiting satellites. Among the many challenges facing navigation from then to now, one stands out: keeping accurate time.

This exhibition explored how revolutions in timekeeping over three centuries have influenced how we find our way.