WTF

[CrealCritter]

 

[FarmerJamie]

Yep, limited venturing out is being asked in Ohio. They can't really legally enforce it, but nonetheless here we are

 

[baymule]

This is being done all over the country. Our Thanksgiving gathering will be small.

 

[Icu4dzs]

This post is for the "WTF?" department.
Background:
About 2 years ago, I decided to put my wind turbine mast to work doing something since the wind turbine is safely locked away in a box unless something really bad happens (Maybe DEC 7 IYKWIM).

So what I did was get about 10 small electric fence pins (3/8" fence posts) and made a SUNDIAL so that I didn't need to look at a clock while I am out in the farmyard. Admittedly, I would have to be north of the pig barn but that isn't all that unusual since the garden is north of the pig barn.

Up until the past several days I really hadn't been paying much attention to the sundial because it just didn't occur to me. Now that I think about it, the cloudy weather has prevented me from using it mostly. But, for the past three days, it has been sunny with a nice clear sky. OK, you say, "So what?"

QUESTION NOW?
Well, yesterday while it was obviously clear and quite sunny, I noticed that the sundial is now almost 3 hours OFF. I don't think I have ever noticed that before but this year I did. While I realize that the sun is rising a bit more south each day, it never seemed THAT far off. When I looked at it yesterday, I noticed that the shadow was on the NOON pin. I was shocked, thinking I had wasted more of the morning doing chores than I had realized...so I pulled out my trusty iPhone and it said, 0900! How does THAT happen? This morning, I went past the mast to see the shadow and I know it was 0830 when I got there after milking Gladys. The shadow was just to the east of the 1100 hour pin which made some sense in terms of the placement of the shadow with respect to the hour, but it was THAT hour that got my attention.

So, not being a master astronomer, I am baffled by this and at least one other thing.

For the past two months, WW and I have been watching a VERY BRIGHT STAR in the eastern sky. So what, you say? Well, that star has been there at night and early in the morning for every day since we noticed it. I did a sight alignment with my windmill that is supposed to pump water (another long, not so good story) and the star has moved only SLIGHTLY for the entire time. I took an Azimuth and got 105 degrees...just south of due east. This star has become brighter and still is visible in the same general location at night as it is during the early morning before sunrise...Yes, I am up that early...Remember Gladys? BUT, in all my days, I have never seen anything that stayed essentially stationary in the sky. However, I am aware that Orion now rises in the east in the morning with his head pointed north. That would put Sirius (the brightest star in the sky) to the northwest (being still below the horizon at that hour) and NOT be this particular "star". The "star" I am talking about shows up just to the south of the (UPPER) first star in Orion's belt.

Anyway, the appearance of this star and the "ERROR" in my sundial has managed to catch my attention and I am bringing it up here in the event that anyone else has noticed these changes or can give me their explanation as to what they think is going on.

This sure has me baffled.

If you have even a slight clue, please advise so I can stop wondering what the H is going on here?
Cheers
Trim sends

 

[CrealCritter]

This post is for the "WTF?" department.
Background:
About 2 years ago, I decided to put my wind turbine mast to work doing something since the wind turbine is safely locked away in a box unless something really bad happens (Maybe DEC 7 IYKWIM).

So what I did was get about 10 small electric fence pins (3/8" fence posts) and made a SUNDIAL so that I didn't need to look at a clock while I am out in the farmyard. Admittedly, I would have to be north of the pig barn but that isn't all that unusual since the garden is north of the pig barn.

Up until the past several days I really hadn't been paying much attention to the sundial because it just didn't occur to me. Now that I think about it, the cloudy weather has prevented me from using it mostly. But, for the past three days, it has been sunny with a nice clear sky. OK, you say, "So what?"

QUESTION NOW?
Well, yesterday while it was obviously clear and quite sunny, I noticed that the sundial is now almost 3 hours OFF. I don't think I have ever noticed that before but this year I did. While I realize that the sun is rising a bit more south each day, it never seemed THAT far off. When I looked at it yesterday, I noticed that the shadow was on the NOON pin. I was shocked, thinking I had wasted more of the morning doing chores than I had realized...so I pulled out my trusty iPhone and it said, 0900! How does THAT happen? This morning, I went past the mast to see the shadow and I know it was 0830 when I got there after milking Gladys. The shadow was just to the east of the 1100 hour pin which made some sense in terms of the placement of the shadow with respect to the hour, but it was THAT hour that got my attention.

So, not being a master astronomer, I am baffled by this and at least one other thing.

For the past two months, WW and I have been watching a VERY BRIGHT STAR in the eastern sky. So what, you say? Well, that star has been there at night and early in the morning for every day since we noticed it. I did a sight alignment with my windmill that is supposed to pump water (another long, not so good story) and the star has moved only SLIGHTLY for the entire time. I took an Azimuth and got 105 degrees...just south of due east. This star has become brighter and still is visible in the same general location at night as it is during the early morning before sunrise...Yes, I am up that early...Remember Gladys? BUT, in all my days, I have never seen anything that stayed essentially stationary in the sky. However, I am aware that Orion now rises in the east in the morning with his head pointed north. That would put Sirius (the brightest star in the sky) to the northwest (being still below the horizon at that hour) and NOT be this particular "star". The "star" I am talking about shows up just to the south of the (UPPER) first star in Orion's belt.

Anyway, the appearance of this star and the "ERROR" in my sundial has managed to catch my attention and I am bringing it up here in the event that anyone else has noticed these changes or can give me their explanation as to what they think is going on.

This sure has me baffled.

If you have even a slight clue, please advise so I can stop wondering what the H is going on here?
Cheers
Trim sends

I think I've noticed that star you speak of it's bright and changes color. Actually there are 5 new stars that I don't never recall seeing before. On a clear night you can see them in the east. They form a pattern that looks something like this.

*. *
*

*

*

 

[CrealCritter]

 

[Icu4dzs]

The three vertically arranged stars are Orion's belt. Turn your head 90 degrees and you'll see Orion rising in the east. He is in the right spot. This star is just to the south of it as you describe in your drawing.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees this...thought I was going nuts for a while.
Cheers,

 

[Chic Rustler]

idk about them stars and aliens...but I go where i want.

 

[Daisy]

There are so many visible stars here, it would be impossible to notice new ones. There is just no way to even count those visible to the naked eye. The night sky is one of the best things about living in the bush. And if the power went out, we'd be the last to know of any global disaster.

A couple years ago, the power did go out for around 48 hours. It was sort of eerie but that is the situation I have tried to prepare for, so I did my normal thing and waited for it to come back on. It did. A little part of me was disappointed that it was nothing more than dodgy powerlines...

The days are longer here with summer. If the sun is up, the buns are up. Sucks to still be sweating in the sun at 7pm and we've not even reached the solstice yet. Stay safe over there. It's probably the first time to be thankful that the festivities fall during summer down under, people are out in the open air.

 

[Icu4dzs]

OK, so Daisy tells us about the southern hemisphere. I am in the northern hemisphere and the stars are quite different here. I actually did spend some time in the southern hemisphere although not in Australia. I was in Diego Garcia which is a microscopic island in the Indian Ocean.
Given that, I guess I should have specified my location in order to minimize the confusion.
Sorry, Daisy...Hope all is well down under!
cheers,