Atom (time)

The atom was a unit of time referred to in medieval philosophical writings as the smallest possible division of time. The earliest known occurrence in English is in Byrhtferth's Enchiridion (a science text) of 1010–1012,^[1] where it was defined as 1/564 of a momentum (1½ minutes),^[2] and thus equal to 15/94 of a second. It was used in the computus, the calculation used to determine the calendar date of Easter.

References

1. "Byrhtferth of Ramsey". (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9438957
2. "atom", Oxford English Dictionary, Draft Revision Sept. 2008 (contains relevant citations from Byrhtferth's Enchiridion)