What the heck is THIS? I'm measuring. Measuring? Measuring what? Good question. I am using my hand with my fingers outstretched to measure an angle of about 25 degrees above the horizon. OK, why would you want to do that? Because there is a total eclipse of the Moon, Sunday night into Monday morning. The Moon, when it is totally in the shadow of the Earth will be about 25 degrees above the horizon when it happens. Thus, the hand angle mesaurement. Astronomers use this system all the time to calculate either the height of objects in the sky, or the distance between objects. It is a very cool system, AND, you always have the measuring instrument with you!
This made me laugh. I use my outstretched hand to measure about 8 inches when looking at a piece of furniture or an object and want to know approximate size, but I am not an Astronomer. I also use my arm to measure a yard of fabric. Guess I'll have to go check the horizon.
ReplyDeleteJoan
My thought on today's blog pic went to your "Copy Cat" post a couple days ago and I imaged that multiple layers of your hand against the scenic background would make for a really cool surrealistic image. And I never knew my hand could be used like a sextant but I will try this for measuring the angle of the North Star above the horizon.
ReplyDeleteI had the same reaction as Joan because my hand measures 8 inches from thumb to pinkie. I use it for measuring fabric, yarn and other items. So Handy!! Now I have learned a new way to measure the horizon. betsey
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