Atomic Clock Access

An atomic clock is the world’s most accurate timekeeping device. While a grandfather clock relies on a swinging pendulum and a digital watch relies on a vibrating quartz crystal, an atomic clock uses the ultra-stable vibrations of atoms—usually cesium or strontium—to measure the passage of time. How It Works

Stock exchanges use atomic time to log trades down to the microsecond, preventing fraud and ensuring a fair "first-come, first-served" system.

Scientists use these clocks to detect tiny changes in gravity (General Relativity) and to search for dark matter. Precision Limits

Cesium atoms are sprayed into a vacuum chamber and hit with microwaves.

The best modern atomic clocks are so stable that they wouldn't lose or gain a single second in —a span of time longer than the age of the universe.