The Global Positioning system (GPS) is a constellation of military satellites launched by the United States of America initially for military use only. These satellites respond to GPS transceivers and triangulate the exact latitude and longitude of the GPS transceiver so as to map the transceiver in its exact location on the globe. The USA released the GPS system for civilian use and it immediately found use in many different parts of the world’s functioning. From GPS devices that geo-tag the pictures you take, to GPS car devices that map the destination, location and with the aid of real time GPS also predict the speed of the vehicle. These marvels of the Global Positioning System have also spawned the development of the GPS clock.
The GPS clock is one of the most accurate time devices ever to be produced for civilian use. These clocks are accurate to the millionth of a second – enough for advanced scientific use in laboratories. These clocks are synchronised with the GPS satellite constellation in space as they are synchronised with laboratories that use supercomputers to predict the exact time at a particular coordinate. These clocks also come with processors of their own that keep a signal alive with the closest three satellites to never lose track of time. Many of these GPS clocks run off a rechargeable battery so as to keep displaying the time with precision in the event of a power failure. Daylight savings time, time zone and even personal timing preferences accurate to the degree can be pre programmed into these devices so that they can display the time accurately for any one.
GPS clocks are used widely and in many diverse areas of science and society. Astronomical observers use GPS clocks to exactly time a lunar occultation so that the surface of the moon can be mapped accurately using the data of the lunar surface’s features. In cars, GPS clocks are built into GPS tracking devices, and thus they also synchronise the user’s own timetable to be accurately matched with the world. These clocks also function as ready to go mission timers as no pre synchronisation is required and every mission member’s clock is running accurate to the second.
GPS clocks are thus a welcome boon to the society as a whole – they keep the most valuable commodity of modern times well synchronised so that people can use it more effectively and with scientific precision.
