Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1843-11-02
For iae Herald.
EQUATION OF TlaE.
Mr.. Editor


difference in different places in u.e This, A..
besides natural difference in different la,i,o5,.
cipslly from the neglect OF individuals in Ar
places Of getting true time, OF of kecptn, , -.
having once obtained II. lime vstes even
twenty miles Of this place, more than II .h,rl
the distance Of 400 miles east OF ives, ,,a
some ha, amusing to hear them say lha, ,b,,, -
is correct. II is often compared by them win n.
ton or New York time withou, making iii. a.
ence ia longitude. From my own e1pctcoe, -.
observation, think the creates, difficult, a.,
from all OF us no, keeping true or mean time v,.
Is highly essential. The difference between u...
and apparent time should be better unde,,,o,4 4
community than it generally is. There i, no S.,.
but many already understand it; and h,,, -.
many understanding the equation OF time, who A.
not govern themselves by IL.
My object is not to give philosophical eou,,,.
reasoning why true and apparen, time doe, No.,
agree, for that has long been seuled, which ,,,
will find by looking at Carey's Elements of A,,,.
omy, Mylne's Eemen,ar. Treatise Of astronomy. a,
almos, any work which treats spon that .ub,r
The period has now arrived when a conside,,l, Il
proportion OF the ,mepieces keep ,rucr time p,,
the SUM-. What mean by saying this, Is, thai
well regulated clock or watch, that will run lhrouA
the year correctly, will not agree with the sun bm
four times in the year. these agreements take place
the 18th Of oril the 18th of June, tive Is, vi Sept,
and the 24,h of Dec. From the 2ilh OF Decemb,,
TO the 5,h Of pr The clock will be before the son.
from the 18Th of Ap, to the 18th OF June the sun
will be before the clock from the l5th of June to
Is, of SEP, the clock will again be before the sun,
and from the LIST OF Sept. to the Oath OF Dec, tie
sun will again be before The clock. The two great.
est deviatons will be near tho Is, OF Nov and The
middle Of February. at which time the sun will be
near 10 minutes fast or SLOW 1t mus, readily he
seen tina, we cannot keep our timepeces with The
sun wi,hou, continually altering and regulating
them, which is evil Of no small amount unless
we have time pieces that we are obliged continually
to set, to keep any where near right. II may he
asked what shall regulate our time by il the sun
does not run regular. | answer that we may regu
late time by the sun, by making the difference
between mean and apparent time. Almost every
almanac has a column which tells Us how much too
fas, or slow the sun is. five wish TO set our time
on the l4lh day Of Dec, we find that the sun is
> mn IL sec. too fast, therefore we must pu, our
! time IL h. 81 m. 4S S. when the is in the noon
mark; and always, when we wish TO set or compaIt
our time, mark the difference between mean aut
apparent time. would here sugges, the idea, tina
in the different towns and villages those people whc
rule the des,inies Of time might take little pains
10 have noon mark somewhere near right, lfyot
have not the means TO correct your noon mark, JUS
obtain, with good watch, correc, time from som'
place where they have it corrected by so doing th'
leading time in every town would correspond, anc
I u,a, ~ooiu make an agreeable hne IN all The neigh
boring towns. ] am aware how natural it is 70
every one TO say that their time is right when the,
have other surety for il than noon mark Of lon.
standing, one proved 10 be correct by comparn,
it at some previous time with some old crazy watch
think have correct time-as well l mayo
| spent considerable time and pains to obtain III
true meridian OF this place; but still am willing
il any other person has taken the same pains that
have and differs from me, to split The difference. o
even come to him, for the sake of having time III,
will compare. 1t is no, 10 be expected that ever
person will keep their time just right; but when the
do Sc, their time, they as we'll set it right a
any other way. When you compare your time will
time east OF you, you must be four minutes slow fol
every degree, or about 50 miles, and vice versa
when you compare !, with time west of you. Tint
upon the same meridian.nor.h or south, corresponds
The difference between New York or Albany Tim,
and time in this place, is four minutes; between
Boston and here eight minutes.
Since have been in this town, which is some
two years and half, have kept mean ,ime--lh
sun sometimes being even sixteen minutes fast and
sometimes the same amount slow Of my clock. PIE
vious TO my coming to this place, was governed by
apparent lime, which ca used me TO be continual
altering my clock In Middlebury they keep NEAR
sime the time there is two minutes slower Than il
this place. What the precise time is in other pla
ces, do not certainly know, but am sure that It
varies considerable in many places. l do think by
little attention We may all have correct time; and 4
we have correct time it will agree.
II. w. BENNETT.
! Rutland, Oct. 90, ls43.
1