Two weeks after the December Solstice (December 21, 2016) i.e.
on January 3rd, 2017 the Earth will be closest to the Sun (about
147,101 kms give or take .005 km depending where you are located or standing on
Earth). In 2016 the closest point was 0.178 km farther. This is called the Perihelion (in Greek peri refers to closer while helios means the Sun). This
difference is because the Earth moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit.
The shape of the orbit changes due to gravitational pull of other cosmic
objects (such as planets and bigger stars than the Sun as well other more bigger
and powerful galaxies of which we know little or nothing). Astronomers have
calculated that the Earth’s orbital shape will be perfectly circular once in
100,000 years. Thus the eccentricity of the path will vary from zero (perfect
circle) to values incrementing to the value one (elliptical)
Understanding
perihelion
The dates {Earth reaching the extreme points in the path –
closest (Perihelion) and farthest (Aphelion)} will vary as much as 2 days from
one year to another. The year 6430 (4014 years away from now) will witness the
perihelion and March equinox to coincide. This means that clocks will need
adjustments accordingly each year unless people are wearing an atomic clock on
their wrist.
Vintage mechanical
watches fetch record sum
The fascination for mechanical winders has not dwindled one
bit since the invention of clocks about 400 years ago. From auction houses the
interest in mechanical watches can be gauged by the ever increasing prices for
fine workmanship and mechanical inventions such as ‘dead second watch’ or a
tourbillon. In July 2016 Sotheby’s (the famed auction house in Britain) offered
for sale rare timepieces in a collection titled The Most Important Private Collection of English Watches). These
watches were produced during the Golden age of Horology in the 18th
Century. Included in the catalogue is a John Harrison (the inventor who claimed
the Longitude Prize) commemorative watch. An oval astronomical watch produced
in that period fetched a record sum of 1.5 million dollars.
Many a Perpetual Time review (an
exciting web resource for watches and information about the business of
timekeeping) has aficionados expressing their appreciation for the art of fine
British watchmaking. Some Perpetual Time reviews have
recorded their thanks as they availed the services of expert watchmakers such
as Perpetual Time to restore watches that have been passed down in their family
for generations.
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