The Time Ball

The Time Ball is a large sphere on a building, traditionally used to provide a visual signal of the exact time. It drops at a predetermined moment, usually daily at a specific time, allowing ships and people to synchronize their clocks accurately before the widespread use of radio or telegraph signals. The system was crucial for navigation and ensuring precise timekeeping, particularly for maritime operations. Today, time balls are mostly historical symbols, but they serve as reminders of past methods of coordinating time before modern technology.