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Old December 9th 18, 10:33 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
Gerald Kelleher
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Default Lat/Long and timekeeping system for Mars

As the only person here who affirms that the planet turns 365 1/4 rotations for 1 orbital circuit based on the parent observation that after four cycles of 365 days, the first annual appearance of a star skips a first annual appearance by one day.

A hypothetical 365 3/4 rotations would create an alternative calendar framework based on 3 years or 366 rotations and 1 year of 365 rotations at the end of the 4th cycle thereby keeping days fixed to the annual milestones of Solstices and Equinoxes.

The system for Mars will have the same timekeeping principles adjusted to the orbital and daily traits of Mars which fit inside a calendar framework. Of course all this may die but experience tells me that information eventually makes it into circulation albeit in a way that people struggle with concepts. I suppose the background scenery of other contributions makes it appear that the writers have a handle on astronomy and timekeeping but the dominance of a secondary system like RA/Dec framework dictates otherwise.