On Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 4:39:40 PM UTC, Mikko wrote:



That's right. However, for those who want to understand history it is
important to understand that before pendulum clocks there was no
mechanical clock that could measure the variation in the length of solar
day, so astronomers had to be determine the equation of time by other
means -- most people where quite happy with solar time.

Mikkl

For those who want to understand history it is important to know that a clock is a device with one job - to maintain a constant or average pace.

You then ask what is the constant pace and how is it derived using the Sun crossing the meridian each day/night cycle while knowing that each cycle is different. This is the process which creates the 24 hour day and therefore its subdivisions into equable hours , minutes and seconds.

Once you have the average 24 hour day you can then convert it into constant rotation and this is the basis of the Lat/Long system where the rate of rotation is 15 degrees per hour, nothing more and nothing less It is one of the supreme human achievements in terms of engineering and a convenience taken for granted.

When the average 24 hour day emerged from these principles and accurate clocks started to emerge, they found it easier to calibrate the clocks using the homocentric perspective using two foreground references and found it was 23 hours 5 minutes 04 seconds using the average 24 hour day. The Lat/Long system requires the physical principles of rotation in terms of sunrise, sunset and noon as any given location exits and enter the circle of illumination (sunrise/ sunset) and the midpoint of noon along with physical consequences such as daily temperature fluctuations.

There is no doubt the attempt to bypass the Sun along with sunrise/sunset/ noon in order to appeal to circumpolar motion turned into a cult and specifically one that suits the theorists an celestial sphere observers. The actual nuances for timekeeping is for those who value their intelligence and the engineering ins and outs that separate timekeeping from the motions of the Earth.