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. 
     
    
   
   
    
             
     
    
   
   
    
     ~o 
     
    

    
     I 
     
    

    
     'w 0.! 
     
     ~¢ o 
     
    
   
   
    
     CASSIOD‘I A 
     
    
   
   
    
     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: 
     
    
   
   
    
     (N F (Con-H 
     
    
   
   
    
     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. 
     
    
   
   
    
     9,