Dragaera

Time and longitude

Tue Feb 15 09:27:27 PST 2005

Shawn Burns wrote:
>  
> 
> 
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Chris Turkel [mailto:zizban at adelphia.net] 
>>Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 6:15 AM
>>To: <dragaera at dragaera.info> <dragaera at dragaera.info>
>>Subject: Re: Time and longitude
>>
>>
>>On Feb 15, 2005, at 9:11 AM, Jeff G. wrote:
>>
>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "John Oliver" <oliver at astro.ufl.edu>
>>>To: "Dragaera (E-mail)" <dragaera at dragaera.info>
>>>Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 6:08 AM
>>>Subject: Time and longitude
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>When the Orb has been active, citizens "know" the time 
>>
>>based on the 
>>
>>>>master Imperial Clock.  If Dragaera is a spherical planet, 
>>
>>then local 
>>
>>>>time (i.e. dawn, dusk) will vary with longitude around the planet.
>>>>Thus
>>>>a more eastern location might already be in daytime at the seventh 
>>>>hour of the morning (by the Orb), while a much more 
>>
>>western location 
>>
>>>>might still be in darkness.
>>>>My question is: "Does this show up in the books?"
>>>>--
>>>>John Oliver
>>>>Associate Professor
>>>>Associate Chair
>>>>Department of Astronomy
>>>>University of Florida
>>>>Project AST at RHO http://astrho.astro.ufl.edu see the night sky at 
>>>>http://concam.net/rh/
>>>>
>>>
>>>Well, it's an assumption, but here goes. Drageareans are 
>>
>>aware of the
>>
>>>difference in "time zones", I believe Lady Teldra mentions formula 
>>>developed
>>>to ascertain the time in different locals. The Orb knows 
>>
>>the location 
>>
>>>of
>>>every person linked to it. I would guess that it translates 
>>
>>the local 
>>
>>>time
>>>for anyone that asks. So, no, it is not stated directly, 
>>
>>but neither 
>>
>>>is it
>>>contradicted.
>>>
>>>Jeff G.
>>>
>>
>>
>>We don't really know much about the size of the planet or the 
>>continent 
>>Drageara is on, except for something like its "The same general shape 
>>as Europe but four times larger, of which the Empire covers about 
>>half". That's big so they must have timezones figured out by now.
> 
> 
> They would only need to have figured out timezones if the difference in the
> amount of light they experience at the extreme Eastern end of the Empire is
> drastically different from the amount of light they experience at that same
> time at the extreme western end. Timezones are necessary (read:
> "convenient") when the light we get is from the sun, so that at different
> times there is light vs. no light at the extremes; but what about with the
> Overcast? Maybe it diffuses the light of the sun eough that there is little
> noticeable difference at the same time in the east and west. So the farmer
> in the west gets up at 6 on the Imperial clock and has only slightly less
> light to work with than the farmer in the east who gets up at that same
> time.
> 
> Shawn 
> 
> 

This all depends on the relative size of the Empire and the planet. 
AFAIK we do not know that.  Still, my experience (as an astronomer) is 
that the rate and time at which dusk and dawn occur (as represented by 
nautical twilight) are not appreciably effected by overcast skies.  If 
the empire is 4x Europe and Dragaera is the size of Earth the variation 
should have been noted.
-- 
John Oliver
Associate Professor
Associate Chair
Department of Astronomy
University of Florida
Project AST at RHO http://astrho.astro.ufl.edu
see the night sky at http://concam.net/rh/