Next message: Frank Reed: "Re: dip, dip short, distance off with buildings, etc."
On 1/15/06 8:31 PM, "Frank Reed" <> wrote:
> Ken, you wrote:
> "We would work the sight out, and to our surprise, they were never more than
> 3 or 4 miles off. For a long time after that, I would note sun squash while
> driving cross country, and work the sight upon return, with the same
> apparent accuracy."
>
> Wow. 3 or 4 miles?? I find that hard to understand. Not that it's not true,
> but if it is, it implies a rather impressive ability to detect squashedness!
>
> -FER
> 42.0N 87.7W, or 41.4N 72.1W.
> www.HistoricalAtlas.com/lunars
>
Frank,
Yes, you are right, and maybe I am not remembering accurately from so long
ago. But I do remember we were all amazed by the results. However, the
samples were few, and could have been just lucky estimates. But bear in
mind that the observation does not have to be just one estimate. For
example, record when the squash is first detected. Then record estimates as
the squash continues until sunset on whatever the horizon is. Having prior
knowledge of time duration of squash, maximum amount of squash, and shape of
the curve in general, and you can get a pretty good estimate of the event.
Ken
