Re: Millenium Sundials
Joe Sempik wrote: Are there any plans to mark the Millenium with the construction of new sundials or meridian lines? Although the counting of years is arbitrary, the year 2000 should be marked with some celebration or festival of the observation and measurement of time. Arbitrary, yes, but let's be consistent in our arbitraryness. Make it 2001! Rory Sellers
Re: Millenium Sundials
Please note that 'millennium' is spelt with two 'n's. Please note also that the 2nd Millennium will not be complete until the END of the year 2000. The origin of the Gregorian calendar is 1 Jan AD 1. Add 2000 to get the start of the 3rd Millennium, i.e. 1 Jan 2001. There is no year Year Zero in the conventional BC/AD method of dating because the concept of zero (and the so-called Arabic numerals) did not appear in Europe until about 500 years ago. The Gregorian calendar was set up using Roman numerals and without that wonderful Indian invention. ZERO. Ian Elliott Dunsink Observatory, Dublin 15, Ireland.
Re: Millenium Sundials
Ian Elliott writes: Please note also that the 2nd Millennium will not be complete until the END of the year 2000. The origin of the Gregorian calendar is 1 Jan AD 1. Add 2000 to get the start of the 3rd Millennium, i.e. 1 Jan 2001. That's true, and people like us find it interesting, but if you stay home the night before 1 Jan 2000, you're going to miss one hell of a party. Since the turn of the millennium doesn't correspond to any astronomical event, and not even to the 2000th anniversary of a historical event, I decided what we're celebrating is the fact that the way we write the year will change in 4 digits. Pure numerology. Like watching your odometer turn over. And that happens when 1999 changes to 2000. Hope to see you then, Art -- To study, to finish, to publish. -- Benjamin Franklin Dr. Arthur Carlson Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics Garching, Germany [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.rzg.mpg.de/~awc/home.html
