HOW TO TELL TIME BY THE STARS

(During the Planetarium visit in February someone raised the question of how to tell time by the stars. Unfortunately no one at the time knew

and the editor has been hunting for the answer ever since. Thanks to Peter Landry of Montreal for sending along the solution.)

Face northward and imagine the North Star to.

be the centre of a clock face. Then consider , the line joining it and the two pointer stars

of the Big Dipper as an hour hand.

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Using this clock face, estimate the time to the nearest quarter of an hour.

To the estimated time add the number of months that have passed since the first of the year.

Multiply this sum by two and subtract it from the

constant 52% (the number of weeks in one year).

The resulting answer gives Standard Time in the 24 hour clock system. If it is summer add an hour to compensate for Daylight Saving.

Let's try working out an example.

By looking at the sky clock illustrated we can estimate the time to be about 9:45. For May 13 we can say we are 4% months into the year. By adding 9 3/4 to 4% we get 14%. Doubling the 14% makes 28%. Subtracting 285 from 52% gives us 23 3/4. This is the same as 11:45 p.m. in Standard Time. Since Daylight Saving is in effect on May 13 we must add 1 hm to give 12:45 a.m. Atlantic Daylight Time.

Now, why not try the method out for yourself some starry night this fall. With a little practice you should soon be able to estimate the time to within a quarter of an hour.

1976. The Stars Belong to Everyone: How to

Doubleday. Toronto.

Hogg, Helen Sawyer. Enjoy Astronomy.

Reference:

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Of special interest to our readers are the new by-laws which came into effect at the Annual General Meeting. Under the new system the CNF Board of Directors will be reduced in size to 18 elected directors plus up to 3 co-opted directors. Nine directors are to be elected each year for 2-year terms. A nominating committee appointed by the Board must present a slate of 9 candidates at each annual meeting. These nominations must include one candidate from each province and territory from which there would otherwise be no director after the annual meeting. Thus if no further nominations are received, each province and territory will be represented by at least one resident director. However if individual CNF members submit nominations (which they may do up to 2 weeks prior to an annual meeting) an election will be held and members present at the AGM will vote for 9 of the 10 or more names occurring on the ballot. If an election is held, it is very possible that one or more provinces or territories will not have a director representing it for the following year.

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