Daylight Saving

rogerg (Roger) · #1 24-10-2006, 06:56 PM

I see in the news today that WA's going to get a 3 year trial of daylight saving

How do you people over in NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, ACT handle having it and doing astronomy?

It already isn't dark here in summer until at least 8:30 at night, I'm not looking forward to starting astronomy at 9:30

I remember last summer working out in the garden until 7:45ish on many afternoons, chipping away the hole for my observatory pier in full light. I don't understand why even more daytime after 5pm is desired.

I am probably one of the least disadvantaged in the WA astronomy community because about 2/3 of what I do is automated so I can start it and go to bed, I really pitty the visual observers etc more. But even my stuff, I think I'll need to improve the automation to get the same level of productivity in my photography.

Roger.

Dennis · #2 24-10-2006, 07:13 PM

Hi Roger

Hah, when we drove around Scotland (in the summer), before we came to Australia, it didn't get dark until almost 1:00am and it was almost twilight again by 3:00am. You think you've got it tough...

However, when we did the same trip in winter, it was dark by 3:30pm and didn’t get light until 8:30am. We were camping in -20 deg C in the Cairngorms.

Cheers

Dennis

acropolite (Phil) · #3 24-10-2006, 07:37 PM

Quote:

How do you people over in NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, ACT handle having it and doing astronomy

Easy really, when it's dark, it's dark, the time really doesn't matter that much. On the positive side if you like viewing or imaging just before morning twilight, when the air is usually at it's steadiest, then you get an extra hour to sleep. The real issue with summer, especially here in Tas, is the reduction of hours of darkness midsummer, and that damn jetstream, not the time shift.

mickoking · #4 24-10-2006, 07:44 PM

I am not a fan of daylight saving, we don't even need it over here in the West. Queenslanders and Territorians have the right idea.

iceman (Mike) · #5 24-10-2006, 08:00 PM

I'm looking forward to it - like Phil said, the mornings just before sunrise can lead to some very steady air and great seeing.

More daytime is good too, time to do stuff outside after getting home from work.

spacezebra (Petra) · #6 24-10-2006, 08:07 PM

Hi there

I agree with Mike on this one - more time to do outside type stuff after work.

Cheers Petra

rogerg (Roger) · #7 24-10-2006, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

I'm looking forward to it - like Phil said, the mornings just before sunrise can lead to some very steady air and great seeing.

I would look forward to that, except that means I need to set my alarm for early morning, which will wake up my partner, and she gets grumpy when she gets woken up early... how do you manage to observe early and still have the rest of the house operate on correct time?

Roger.

leon · #8 24-10-2006, 08:18 PM

You could always sleep in the observatory.

Cheers leon

rogerg (Roger) · #9 24-10-2006, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

You could always sleep in the observatory.

Cheers leon

You know, I've given that some serious thought

GrahamL · #10 24-10-2006, 09:49 PM

I sure won't miss the birds chirping at 4.20 am

iceman (Mike) · #11 25-10-2006, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerg

I would look forward to that, except that means I need to set my alarm for early morning, which will wake up my partner, and she gets grumpy when she gets woken up early... how do you manage to observe early and still have the rest of the house operate on correct time?

Roger.

They're used to me getting up early. The kids don't hear it/don't wake up, and my wife just rolls over and goes back to sleep.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightstalker

I sure won't miss the birds chirping at 4.20 am

Agree with you there!

Although i'll miss the beautiful sunrises I get to see on my way to work at the moment.

acropolite (Phil) · #12 25-10-2006, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Queenslanders and Territorians have the right idea

Once you've experienced daylight saving you may well change your mind. The extra hour of daylight is quality time to spend with family, take an evening stroll or mow the lawn.

Lee · #13 25-10-2006, 06:39 AM

The extra hour in the afternoon is cool, but comes as a price - a shorter evening.... Not looking forward to bright twilight at near 8pm.....

OneOfOne (Trevor) · #14 25-10-2006, 07:26 AM

I find the extra hour of daylight fades the curtains!

At least in the summer they don't have night footy practise at the three ovals I can see the glow from (and I hate footy), but there is the night cricket (and I hate cricket)....come to think of it, I hate just about all sport (I should point out my best marathon time is 2:58 though, in my younger days).

For the first few weeks, when I wake at 5:00 it will be 6:00 and I can get up for work. After a few weeks my body clock readjusts and I will be awake again at 5:00...which is actually 4:00...and that is scary. Especially if I get to bed about 11:00 or so.

Ric · #15 25-10-2006, 08:54 AM

I quite like daylight savings, the way I see it I lose an hours viewing before midnight and get it back after midnight so not much changes.
I do get more daylight hours too everything I have to do before the evening observing.

cheers

asimov (John) · #16 25-10-2006, 09:05 AM

I try not to let it affect me. Start imaging when it gets dark & stop when that yellow ball of light starts to make its presence felt..

rogerg (Roger) · #17 25-10-2006, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plasmodium

The extra hour in the afternoon is cool, but comes as a price - a shorter evening.... Not looking forward to bright twilight at near 8pm.....

Not sure what your sunset time is, but WITHOUT daylight saving ours will be 7:25 in the height of summer, so with daylight saving it will be full daytime at 8pm, even 8:30, and bright twilight at 9:00.

Roger.

ving (David) · #18 25-10-2006, 10:32 AM

i used to like it back in the old days... then i bought a telescope. and now it seems my grand plan of moving to WA to escape DLS has been ruined

really, i dont like it at all... i generally dont stay up late and i am not a morning person at all so its less observing time for me. Occassionally i'll go mountainbiking after work so it comes in handy for that, but thats very rare these days.

Achilles61 · #19 25-10-2006, 01:30 PM

DLS started two days before I bought my scope. Still, it meant that I was able to take things slowly (very important, and very difficult for me). And, since I had the time, was able to eat something and STILL waited for the Sun to go down. Doubt I would have bothered pre-DLS about mundane things like dinner.
I'd rather not have DLS, but I'm a morning person anyway.

Steve S.

mickoking · #20 25-10-2006, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acropolite

Once you've experienced daylight saving you may well change your mind. The extra hour of daylight is quality time to spend with family, take an evening stroll or mow the lawn.

I used to live in NSW, Victoria and the UK all have daylight saving. Don't get me wrong I am not rabidly against it, I am just not for it. I am also too lazy to observe in the morning