[time-nuts] Why a 10MHz sinewave output?

[Jim Lux]

On 2/8/12 4:51 PM, Magnus Danielson wrote:
> On 02/08/2012 03:25 PM, Craig S McCartney wrote:
>> We already have one of those that everybody can use. It's called the
>> earth.
>
> Yes, but you don't have it hanging in a neat position in your office,
> living room or lab, now do you? Besides, if you are a time-nut your rock
> will be more time-accurate than the real thing. :)
>
> I haven't special ordered a backup earth for my lab, or at least I won't
> admit to it, as you all know that I have at least three operational and
> a few stand-bys to put into operation in case I need to service one of
> them.
>

And now you know why we keep sending those spacecraft with high 
performance radios to Mars.  Because, you know, with all those 
earthquakes and tsunamis, the Earth rotation keeps changing. And that 
enormously massive moon also interacts with the rotation too, not to 
mention our thick atmosphere.

Mars, tiny moons, almost no atmosphere, no oceans, seismically quiet...

I'll pitch it as a new slogan: "Mars clocks, when Earth rotation just 
isn't stable enough."