Dear all To Judge by Judith's reply I clearly spoke out of turn (albeit from that road that leds to hell!!!!!).
My apologies for any offence given. Regards Andrew At 13:20 4/1/02 -0500, Romano, Judith wrote: >Dear Sundialists: > >Thank you again for your notes of assistance and comments. This e-mail >group is very useful, with responses that are both attentive and thorough. >I will try to keep my note brief. > >With a great south facing house, the mirror placed half-way up the window, >and limiting the hours from 9am to 3pm, fortunately only the 3pm sun dot was >appearing on the opposite wall. The markings for the remaining three times >in which "sun time" and "watch time" closest agree (Apr 15, Jun 14, and Sep >2), will be shorter and allow me to make lines using three other reference >points. > >My children have enjoyed the process so far -- watching the spot go across >the ceiling, and seeing mathematics and science in action! Narrow straight >molding (painted white to match the ceiling) placed on these lines (the >entire width of the ceiling) to depict the hour lines, will make this dial >discreetly decorative, yet functional. > >With the large amount of interest and enthusiasm generated by this topic, >I'll have to take some photos during it's creation, and once completed, >share them with the sundial group to demonstrate the whole process and it's >success. > >Judith > > >FYI... For those interested in HUMAN/GARDEN SUNDIALS as well (last summer's >project with my children), I've created a "fill-in" worksheet that computes >the calculations automatically in "inches" with longitude correction (for >Northern Latitudes and Western Longitudes) -- one just needs to know their >latitude (and optional longitude and time zone for correction), and the >desired size. I've been working with John Hoy to have it posted at his >website (http://www.cyberspace.org/~jh/dial/). I will be casting these >sundials onto the area schoolyard blacktops in March (before Daylight >Savings in April). I believe this "community service" project should be >made available to all -- free of charge! > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Steve Lelievre [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 9:58 AM >To: sundial@rrz.uni-koeln.de >Subject: Re: Ceiling Sundial > > >I agree, John. > >At one solstice the EoT is about +2 minutes, and at the other it is about -2 >minutes so there would be only a slight discrepancy. Too small to worry >about, especially as this is a junior school project and Judith is trying to >avoid too much complicated explanation. > >I like her approach for its simplicity, but there's one potential problem >which I don't know how to solve. What happens if the summer dot is on the >ceiling and the winter dot is on a wall? How do you draw the straight line >connection? > >I can imagine the method being used by other teachers in the future, and >people forgetting to take back Daylight Saving Time for the summer labels, >or vice versa. > >Steve > > >> As it turned out (in my opinion), her original idea was correct. >> >> John > >>>> I have the tiny lipstick mirror mounted at my window frame (half way >up) >>>>, and was told that the easiest way (void of all the mathematical >calculations >>>> that they would not understand) is to mark each hour in the day during >the >>>> winter and summer solstices (12/21 and 06/21) -- then connect the >"dots". >>>> Granted this process takes six months to complete, but it would ensure >that >>>> all longitude corrections are incorporated, effortlessly. > > ------------------------------Andrew Pettit-------------------------------- e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Postman Pat: 3, Lucastes Road, HAYWARDS HEATH, West Sussex, RH16 1JJ, ENGLAND Tel. UK: (+44) (0)1444 453111
