JDG wrote:
>
>Stratos' seasons are of unequal length, with winter being the longest,
>lasting roughly half of the year, or two Earth years.
>
What this probably means is that the seasons are defined by
the angle known as _true anomaly_ and not the _mean anomaly_
[that, by definition, is proportional to time] or [as in the case
of seasons that depend on the angle between the orbit normal
direction and the spin axis direction - like Earth] on the right
ascension.
And the exact quote is not that Winter takes 2 Earth-years, but
that "more than 2 Earth-years before great plummet into Spring".
Winter takes about 1/2 of Stratos Year, or about 1.5 Earth-years.
BTW, this gives to Stratos's orbital eccentricity the value of
about 0.5 [compare this to Earth's 0.02...]
>
>In addition to A-E Day, a major holiday seems to be Farsun Day. It
>definitely includes allusions to Christmas, with a "Frost Lady", parties,
>and giving of treats to passers-by. Perhaps it is a mid-winter festival
>to celebrate the height of the breeding season?
>
Far-Sun would mean the aphelium [or, since helium refers to Sol, to
apoaster (sp?)]; it would be *exactly* Mid-Winter if we define the seasons
by the true anomaly.
>-The Pelican of Euphrosyne, Epona, the Dancing Dolphin, and Thalia are some
>prominent winter constellations. (239-40)
>
Not Thalia - this would be a _Fall_ constellation.
>-There is a greater moon named Durga, and a lesser moon named Aglaia. (242)
>
Durga had been mentioned before, but this is the first reference to Aglaia.
There's also Iris, the smallest moon, mentioned in Ch 8, and
Athena, mentioned in Ch 3.
>-What does the message mean?
>Cy, Tell Grvs Imat
>49* 16' 67* 54'
>No Deal W/ Odo!
>LV If NEC
>
Cy [whoever he/she is] tell GRVS [whoever he/she is] that I am at
49 deg 16 min (lat), 67 deg 54 min (lon)
[and there is a typographical error here. lat should be 39]
Don't make any deal with Odo! [whoever he/she is!]
Leave if necessary
>-When did Renna start watching DS9? ;-)
>
1990 O:-)
My notes:
p.237: anonymous introduction - it's not signed by Lysos,
even though it has her style :-)
summer = closest approach past tiny, fierce Waenglen's star
p.239: Stratos has a thick atmosphere
p.240: Wengel star white dwarf, with a faint glitter in daytime sky
p.241: Maia does not know date or time [so there's no way she could
know the longitude -- avfm]
Taranis used to determine latitude
p.245: two more nights to copy clicks, an exercise of patience unlike
any since M+L solved secret gate at Lamai wine cellar
Alberto Monteiro
