Lunar phases for Brownies - an opportunity for pedants;-)

Martin Frey wrote in message . ..
The Lunar thread has been really productive - every contributor has
unashamedly nicked bits from his/her predecessor leading to a current
version that is clearer, shorter and altogether better than any of us
could have imagined at the outset.

Let the seasons run - you may yet get it in not many more than 25
words

The combined force of UKSA? A mighty power to be reckoned with ;-)

Not sure if I should be encouraging you after your comment to Etok g
but how about:

"The Earth is slightly tilted. This means that the Sun rises higher
during summer making the days longer. The longer days mean the Sun
can heat the Earth more than in winter."

To illustrate the different heights of the Sun it might be useful to
show a picture of an anelema
Also for quick simple answers I like
http://www.zoomwhales.com/subjects/astronomy/

--
Simon
51:31N 0:38W
http://www.cookie-pool.co.uk/Pool1.htm
http://www.maidenhead.astronomical.s...care4free.net/
http://www.popastro.com/home.htm

Dr John Stockton wrote in news:+9njjvGAlFd
:

Finally I got the idea that thr moon and sun make a relatively static
system, which we twirl round underneath, and all became clear.

Possibly clear to you; certainly incorrect as stated.


Sorry, Doctor, I did say "relatively"

On any given night, I had difficulty understanding why the moon over in
the East had exactly (roughly) the same appearance as when it was over to
the West 6 or so hours later.

It was because I was thinking of the moon going round the Earth, in which
case the phase should have changed, rather than the Moon and the Sun
being a relatively stationary (well, about 28 times slower) system with
me standing on the Earth twiddling underneath it. If I think of that the
Moon's failure to radically alter phase in the course of a night is
understandable.

We weren't all born Doctors, in fact some of us muppets will never be
one, but we still to make sense of it any way we can.

mike r

JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Robin Leadbeater
posted at Fri, 26 Sep 2003 10:35:04 :-

"The Earth is slightly tilted so some parts of the planet's surface are
closer to the sun (and warmer) at certain times of the year"


"As Earth is slightly tilted, different parts of its surface are better
lit by the sun (and warmer) at different times of the year".

'Better' encompasses both the greater duration and the more effective
angle.

"Summer and Winter happen here when our part of the Earth is tilted
towards or away from the Sun."

Again : what needs to be said depends on what can be assumed to be known
at the start - not a lot, but more than nothing - and what comes earlier
in the document.

At what age does a Young Person, especially a modern townie, learn that
there is more to a year than the interval between birthdays /
Christmases ?


Robin, this should all have been cross-posted to uk.rec.scouting; as
well as gaining an idea of how much YP might know at that age, one can
gain an idea of how little a Leader might know.

--
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Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms & links;
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No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.

(SimonP) wrote in message . com...


"The Earth is slightly tilted. This means that the Sun rises higher
during summer making the days longer. The longer days mean the Sun
can heat the Earth more than in winter."


Absolute twaddle! What about the slope angle of the Sun's rays on the
surface of the Earth in winter being lower in that hemisphere because
of the tilt of the Earth's axis? So the heat is spread out more. So it
doesn't heat up the ground so much. Because of the reduced heating per
unit area. You haven't even mentioned it! Tho' who knows what the
Brownies will make of that. The Sun is actually nearer in winter you
know. Where's Merlin when you need him? Anyone seen a raven circling?

Chris.B

"Dr John Stockton" wrote in message
...

Robin, this should all have been cross-posted to uk.rec.scouting; as
well as gaining an idea of how much YP might know at that age, one can
gain an idea of how little a Leader might know.

Hi John,

I have monitored the last two cross posting attempts on this subject and as
far as I can see, the ball has only been picked up here. My job is to
correct the facts in the original document and explain it as clearly as
possible, pitched at the same level as the original document but not higher.
I believe we are doing that successsfully . I would not presume to criticise
the level of the original.

Robin

"mike ring" wrote in message
52.50...

Anyhow it's ok now, and it's the brownie's author who needs some slaps
for her text's English, as well as it's astronomy
^
Doh ! Just one too many !

Slap )

AG

"Dr John Stockton" wrote in message
...
JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, Robin Leadbeater
posted at Fri, 26 Sep 2003 10:35:04 :-

"The Earth is slightly tilted so some parts of the planet's surface are
closer to the sun (and warmer) at certain times of the year"


"As Earth is slightly tilted, different parts of its surface are better
lit by the sun (and warmer) at different times of the year".

'Better' encompasses both the greater duration and the more effective
angle.

"Summer and Winter happen here when our part of the Earth is tilted
towards or away from the Sun."


"In our summer, it feels warmer because the North Pole is tilted towards the
Sun, so countries near that pole, such as UK, see the Sun higher in the sky.
In winter the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun, which is then lower in
the sky, and it feels cold. This is when the south pole is tilted towards
the Sun, so countries like Australia feel warmer and have their summer at
the same time as our winter."

I think the pole is important rather than just the Earth being tilted.

AG

"Andy Guthrie" wrote in news:_t1db.525
:

...

Anyhow it's ok now, and it's the brownie's author who needs some slaps
for her text's English, as well as it's astronomy
^
Doh ! Just one too many !

Slap )

No, the right number, but not *necessarily* in the right order

m r ouch

"Robin Leadbeater" wrote in message
...

"Martin Frey" wrote in message
...

Let the seasons run - you may yet get it in not many more than 25
words


OK - here is my starter for ten:-

The Earth is slightly tilted. This means that the sun rises higher and the
days are longer and warmer in summer than in winter.

Robin


Here is the final version (again constrained by the available space).

The Earth's axis is slightly tilted. In summer the tilt is towards the Sun.
This means the Sun rises higher and the days are longer and therefore warmer
than in winter.

Many thanks to all contributors for their help

Robin

"mike ring" wrote in message "Andy Guthrie"
Anyhow it's ok now, and it's the brownie's author who needs some slaps
for her text's English, as well as it's astronomy
^
Doh ! Just one too many !

Slap )

No, the right number, but not *necessarily* in the right order

Why _use_ apostrophes if you don't know when to use them? I'd hate to see
some of these people let loose on the subjunctive.

Grocers grossin' me out. Ugh!


Martin
--
M.A.Poyser Tel.: 07967 110890
Manchester, U.K. http://www.fleetie.demon.co.uk