Let's see if I understand this correctly

The guy on the early news said that spring would start at 5:07 PM
Pacific Daylight Savings Time today.

That really caught my attention. I've got to DO something before it
happens, or make plans to celebrate the Vernal Equinox correctly next
time the planet rolls around its orbit to that point.

Will the VE be about seven minutes after midnight at the Greenwich
Observatory?

Is Greenwich seven hours ahead of PDST?

Does the actual time of the VE take place around midnight?

I've been seeing all those news videos about Native Americans and
their medicine wheels and Celtic neopagans waiting for the crack of
dawn to sacrifice the virgin, yanno.

Are the Indians and neopagans actually doing their thing about six
hours after the REAL equinox?

Are the neopagans hours late and a virgin short?

As I understand it, the Earth's equator will align with the plane of
the ecliptic momentarily.

If I was laying on my back on the deck of a boat in the South
Atlantic, right where the Greenwich meridian crosses the equator, what
constellation would be at zenith at seven minutes after midnight?

What bright star would be directly overhead?

Will the same star and constellation be directly overhead on the next
Vernal Equinox?

"FB" wrote in message oups.com...
The guy on the early news said that spring would start at 5:07 PM
Pacific Daylight Savings Time today.

That really caught my attention. I've got to DO something before it
happens, or make plans to celebrate the Vernal Equinox correctly next
time the planet rolls around its orbit to that point.

Will the VE be about seven minutes after midnight at the Greenwich
Observatory?

Yes.
Perihelion Jan 3 20 Equinoxes Mar 21 00 07 Sept 23 09 51
Aphelion July 7 00 Solstices June 21 18 06 Dec 22 06 08



Is Greenwich seven hours ahead of PDST?

Yes.


Does the actual time of the VE take place around midnight?

No.
Next year its
Perihelion Jan 3 00 Equinoxes Mar 20 05 48 Sept 22 15 44
Aphelion July 4 08 Solstices June 20 23 59 Dec 21 12 04


I've been seeing all those news videos about Native Americans and
their medicine wheels and Celtic neopagans waiting for the crack of
dawn to sacrifice the virgin, yanno.

Most Xtians symbolically eat flesh and drink blood in ritual
cannibalism to celebrate a crucifixion, you are seeing "normal"
behaviour.
Aww....the little baby Jesus, how sweet... and tasty. Let's have
a feast and pretend we are eating him.
Idiotic ritual is alive and well and living in the Americas.

Are the Indians and neopagans actually doing their thing about six
hours after the REAL equinox?

Dunno, check out midnight mass and see what the halfwit Xtians
are doing. There is usually a bloke in a woman's dress and a funny hat
moaning from a pulpit before he collects his money.
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/cou...oj3/priest.jpg


Are the neopagans hours late and a virgin short?

America has always been short of virgins.


As I understand it, the Earth's equator will align with the plane of
the ecliptic momentarily.

Yeah... since it is passing through. Take a trip round the M25
and you can be momentarily on the Greenwich meridian, too.
I've done that lots of times.


If I was laying on my back on the deck of a boat in the South
Atlantic, right where the Greenwich meridian crosses the equator, what
constellation would be at zenith at seven minutes after midnight?

Are you sure that's the South Atlantic and not the North Atlantic?
This might help:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=Star%20charts
abyss.uoregon.edu/.../hidden_star_chart.gif

That's a nice one, lots of pretty pictures.


What bright star would be directly overhead?

The one nearly opposite the sun.


Will the same star and constellation be directly overhead on the next
Vernal Equinox?

No, the Earth turns 366 and quarter times each year.
(Not 365 and a quarter, those are solar days, not turns)