Re: Being careful with directions

[Leigh Palmer <palmer@SFU.CA>]

> Leigh,
>   In my astronomy classes I always tell the students that the time from
> Vernal Equinox to Autumn Equinox is 5 days longer than from AE to VE.
> That is of course because of the elliptical orbit, and we travel fastest
> when we are closest to the sun, which is during northern hemisphere winter
> (around Jan. 2, I believe it is).  That makes summers longer than winters,
> even though it may not seem that way when it gets really cold in the
> winter.
>   Is that the answer you were looking for, Leigh?  5 days.  It can vary
> slightly due to the equinoxes falling early or late in a day.

My calculation makes the difference almost eight days. I don't think
it can vary much, however. Just take solace in the knowledge that you
get an extra week of spring and summer because you are a northerner.

I am pleased to hear this rapid response from two people. I haven't
seen this in astronomy textbooks so I thought it was arcane. I was
wrong, apparently.

Leigh