it is simple arithmetic: our watch shows mean time, so the mean of the correction should be 0, otherwise your watch is fast or slow after a year.
At 23:02 3-4-00 EDT, you wrote: -----Original Message/Oorspronkelijk bericht-------------- >4/3/00 >Does anyone know why the equation of time is indexed to zero on 9/1, 12/25, >etc.? That is to say, when the clock was originally being indexed to the sun >(17th century?), why did they pick this set of dates as the zero point? Why >not, for example, set the clock to where the analemma crosses itself, or to >one of the solstices, or equinoxes? I'm sure there is a good reason, but I >haven't been able to think of it. Maybe it has to do with indexing the clock >to sidereal time, and not to sun time. Any takers? > >Bill Gottesman >Burlington, VT > ----------------------------------------------------------------- Thibaud Taudin-Chabot 52°18'19.85" North 04°51'09.45" East home email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (attachments max. 500kB; for larger attachments contact me first)
