Smithsonian Books Releases Time and Navigation

If people want to know where they are, they need a good clock. This surprising connection between time and place is explored in Time and Navigation: The Untold Story of Getting from Here to There, the companion book to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum exhibition of the same name.

The book covers five major topics in navigation history: It begins with navigation at sea, including the development of the marine chronometer and how the problem of measuring longitude was solved. Explorers then turned their sights to the skies; the need to navigate in the air led to the development of bubble sextants and electronic methods used during World War II. The space race required new technology for navigating in space, including the atomic clock. The next phase in navigation history was the invention of satellite systems for navigating on Earth. The book’s final section explores the ubiquity of global navigation systems in smartphones and other electronics. Time and Navigation is a comprehensive exploration of navigation history that helps people understand where they have been, how they got there and where they are going.

About the Authors

Andrew K. Johnston is a geographer at the National Air and Space Museum, where he researches earth science and environmental change. Roger D. Connor is curator of instruments and avionics at the National Air and Space Museum. Carlene E. Stephens is the curator of timekeeping at the National Museum of American History. Paul E. Ceruzzi is the curator of aerospace electronics and computing at the National Air and Space Museum.

About the Book

Title: Time and Navigation: The Untold Story of Getting From Here to ThereAuthor: Andrew K. Johnston, Roger D. Connor, Carlene E. Stephens and Paul E. Ceruzzi
On-Sale Date: 5/19/15
Price: $29.95 / Pages: 224
ISBN: 978-1-58834-491-5
Smithsonian Books

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SI-232-2015