Noon Gun
The Noon Gun (English for 12 o'clock cannon) is a historical time signal in Cape Town . It is given every day at 12 noon by shooting down a cannon. The cannon is on Signal Hill in Cape Town. The beginning of this practice is dated differently, it is said to have been the case since 1806.
history
The settlement on the Cape of Good Hope , later Cape Town, was founded by the Dutch in 1652. The cannons were already part of the Castle of Good Hope's regular artillery . Cannon shots as a signal initially served as a warning of possible enemies.
Since 1833 a cannon shot was used to determine the time for the ships in the port of Cape Town. Because of the very loud bang, the cannons were later relocated to Signal Hill , a little further away . The first time signal from there sounded on August 4, 1902. The cannons from that time are still in use, making them the oldest active cannons in the world.
Time signal
The cannons were used to precisely set the length clocks on the ships, which were essential for calculating the degree of longitude . Observers paid more attention to the smoke from the cannons than to their thunder, since the time between ignition and perception of the thunder depends heavily on the distance to the cannons; the perception of the smoke, however, (practically) simultaneously.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Cape Town History: Noon Gun . on www.capetownhistory.com (English)
- ↑ a b Bo Kaap: Noon Gun . on www.bokaap.co.za (English)
Coordinates: 33 ° 54 ′ 54.7 ″ S , 18 ° 24 ′ 41.8 ″ E