Daylight Robbery : Daylight Savings Extention

[AJames]

Today it has been announced, that daylight savings will be extended by one whole month to six months in many of the southern states of Australia (Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and the ACT.) This means that daylight savings will now begin on the 1st Sunday in October and end on the 1st Sunday in April.

This will mean at the extremes of actual local time (AEST+DST) (based on Sydney's latitude) will be;

Sunrise / Sunset
April : Set 17h 51m : Rise 07h 07m : Total Darkness 09h 34m+/-4m
October : Set 17h 57m : Rise 06h 33m : Total Darkness 08h 43m+/-3m

Astronomical Twilight
April : Ends 20h 14m : Begins 05h 44m
October : Ends 20h 21m : Begins 05h 09m

This will certainly muck up the October long weekend (though with Work Choices it is probably irrelevant!), and will make little difference to Easter unless it falls just a few days after 21st March.

Are there going to be any problems for amateur observers having these times extended by so much?

NOTE : Other than the curtains fading even faster, the only concern I've heard is that accidents will be more prevelant in Sydney, as there is more cars travelling eastwards to work will have the bright sun in their eyes, which is made worse by a similar problem when going home.

* Times stated may vary by six days depending on when Sunday occurs. however the error is merely about +/- three or four minutes

[ving]

edit for spelling error? :lol:

anyhow, i want to see DLS abolished, not extended! this will confuse the cows and they will produce less milk therefore bumping up teh milk prioces at teh supermarket!!! surely the pollies know this!!! :eek:

(i hate DLS)

[Lee]

Sort of - you get less evening viewing time, but more early morning viewing time - obviously total times of darkness aren't touched by whatever time scale we use - is still a pain for workers who have to get up in the am though!