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Old November 21st 17, 06:18 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
Gerald Kelleher
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Default The Equation of Time(keeping)

The issue of Huygens and the attempt to fit the timekeeping facility into the natural orbital cycle surfaced later when the Equation of Timekeeping was loaded with attributes that it doesn't have -

"Absolute time, in astronomy, is distinguished from relative, by the equation of time. For the natural days are truly unequal, though they are commonly considered as equal and used for a measure of time; astronomers correct this inequality for their more accurate deducing of the celestial motions...The necessity of which equation, for determining the times of a phænomenon, is evinced as well from the experiments of the pendulum clock, as by eclipses of the satellites of Jupiter." Principia

People shouldn't be scared or just give up the pretense that Newton ill-considered version of the Equation of Timekeeping is anything other than jumbled up notion whereas the timekeeping facility responsible for the average 24 hour day has both engineering and astronomical facets.

That little detour over, back to the topic in hand.