What amateurs really can do

"You may also, instead of the Suns rising and setting, take two
equall Altitudes of the Sun, before and after Noon, and having noted
the time given by the Watches at the time of both the Observations,
proceed with it in the same manner, as was Iust now directed for
observing the Sun in the Horizon." Huygens *

The enjoyable means by which the 24 hour day is created out of natural
noon by way of 'centering' the Sun to natural noon in order to apply
the Equation of Time for that particular day is never so dramatically
demonstrated as in that photo sequence by Danilo even though it was
originally meant for this purpose -

http://www.danilopivato.com/miscella...r_solstice.htm

There is no doubting the imaging power of the HST but on the other
hand here is a wonderful instance when individual imaging can be just
as relevant and it just needs a little effort to put that imaging in
context for so many different astronomical directions ,not just how
they light up the old astronomical texts,their methods and insights
but for future purposes also.

Many would probably still stick with the phony 'analemma' but when the
images above are meshed with the texts of Huygens,they show just what
a jewel astronomy is in its structuring and timekeeping aspects.There
is little point exclaiming - 'C'mon guys,this is for real !.' for I
am certain a few here already know it.











* http://www.xs4all.nl/~adcs/Huygens/06/kort-E.html