Conference ljsrv1::tv_chatter

    I believe TV_Chatter resides on a system in Australia.
    South of the equator, the time stamp will show up to
    a day later than the US.
    
    

     Yes, they are anywhere from 15 to 19 hours ahead of us here in the
    U.S.  It think.
    
    Ben

    re .1 - But I don't think the *equator* has anything to do with it! 
    (Try international dateline)  ;-)
    
    Leslie

    Well, I know the equator doesn't have anything to do with the passage
    of time, I used it as a reference to where the Chatter system resides.
    The seasons are different too, south of the equator. For instance, it
    is fall there now (I think). 
    
    Jodi-

  No, it's summer.

  George

    Yeah, after I logged out earlier, I realized it was probably still
    summer. It's just that our winter (even here in Calif) seems like
    it's been going on for months, I just assumed it was fall in OZ.
    

    
    
    It certainly is summer, it's a beautiful day which would be	
    better spent at the beach,
    
    Meredith.	    	
    
    

This may not be the appropriate place for this note, BUT for some reason, next unseen
never works for this conference, even though it's clear new notes are being entered.

		Bob Cohen
 

    Bob, I noticed that yesterday - I did an update yet when I opened the
    file there weren't that many.
    
    I'll need to check with the host-mod since I'm real new to this.
    
    By the way - when one of us is in here 'cleaning' we will temporarily
    write-lock the file so it does mess up the numbering.  Just wait a few
    minutes then try again.
    
    Thanks,
    Joyce
    co-mod
    

    Well... it's officially FALL here now, ie., 1-MAR.
    
    
    Don
    *8-)
    

  Really or is that a joke?

  Doesn't Fall down there start on or about 21 March when the sun crosses the
equator? 

  That's when Spring starts here. Fall up here starts on 21 Sep when the
sun crosses the equator going back your way.

  George

    Re .11
    
    George.. Autumn commences here ..officially.. on 1-MAR.
    
    Autumn starts on 1-MAR.
    Winter starts on 1-JUN.
    Spring starts on 1-SEP.
    Summer starts on 1-DEC.
    
    
    ..that's how it's always been and we're NOT about to change it. It's a
    shame some of you other people haven't yet convinced God to get the
    seasons to start on the 1st of the month as we have.
    
    Don
    *8-)

    .12> George.. Autumn commences here ..officially.. on 1-MAR.
    
    Well, who's the "official" declaring this nonsense?!
    
    For this year (I'll give you Pacific time):
    
    VERNAL EQUINOX (Sun enters Aries) March 20, 6:41am
    SUMMER SOLSTICE (Sun enters Cancer) June 21, 2:00am
    AUTUMNAL EQUINOX (Sun enters Libra) September 22, 5:23pm
    WINTER SOLSTICE (Sun enters Capricorn) December 21, 12:26pm
    
    Source: Jim Maynard's "Celestial Guide 1993" (week-at-a-glance
    astrological calendar).
    
    Leslie

    Leslie,
    
    The dates you mentioned..
    
    June 21 is the shortest day of our year.
    December 21 is the longest day of our year.
    
    Don
    *8-)

  I think that what Leslie is saying is that in the U.S. the following dates
and times: 

>    VERNAL EQUINOX (Sun enters Aries) March 20, 6:41am
>    SUMMER SOLSTICE (Sun enters Cancer) June 21, 2:00am
>    AUTUMNAL EQUINOX (Sun enters Libra) September 22, 5:23pm
>    WINTER SOLSTICE (Sun enters Capricorn) December 21, 12:26pm
    
are used to mark the beginning of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter respectively.
They are used because they are the times that:

     VERNAL EQUINOX The Sun appears to cross the equator going north. The
                    poles are tilted perpendicular to the sun. 
     SUMMER SOLSTICE The Sun appears to reach the farthest point north (our
                     longest day, your shortest). The north pole is tilted
                     closest toward the sun.
     AUTUMNAL EQUINOX The Sun appears to cross the equator going south. The
                     poles are tilted perpendicular to the sun.
     WINTER SOLSTICE The Sun appears to reach the farthest point south  (our
                     shortest day, your longest). The south pole is tilted
                     closest toward the sun.

  There are probably many in the U.S. who assume that those dates and times
would be the beginning of Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer respectively "down
under", but it appears that you like to use the beginning of the month in which
those events occur instead of using the event itself. Is that correct?

  Do you happen to know if New Zealand uses the celestial event or beginning of
the month to mark their seasons? Also, which set of numbers are used by
researchers in the Antarctic? 

  George

    Don,
    
    I knew that!  :-}  I guess a rose-is-a-rose-is-a-rose, unless an
    Ozficial declares it to be just another day three weeks after a
    conveeeeeeniently appointed First-Day-of-<season>... in order to
    confuse us 'Murkans....
    
    George,
    
    'Zackly.  At the Equinox (equal night), the sun is directly over the
    equator at noon.  So if you're on the equator, on those two days you
    have 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night.  On the solstices (sun
    stasis?), the sun "stops" in its apparent motion northward or
    southward, because it has "reached" the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic
    of Capricorn; and, of course, these "stops" mark our longest or
    shortest days or nights.
    
    Leslie