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Ming's Mum will be watching from Mars at Midday.* * * * *
BUT -
When is Midday?
(Australia alone has several.)
We used to have quite a few ourselves - but railway timetablers couldn't cope - which is why we 'Do-Noon-Together' now. (London time.)
(It causes resentment.)
(An individual's politics can be detected by the way he or she aligns a sundial!)
I'd quite like to set 'Midday' by 'Dorchester Time'.
But if everyone in the world waves at once - Ming's Mum will miss people on the other side of the planet. (The earth would get in the way.)
Therefore:-
Let every waver plant an upright stick in the ground.
When it casts no shadow -
jump up and down, fling your arms around and shout Yoohoo!
Ming's Mum will be pleased with this arrangement - she won't need to calibrate her telescope or set its tracking device.
She can start with us - and watch everyone else as they come round waving.
(Unles
s the earth's going in the other direction, in which case, they'll have gone in before she sees them.)(Come to think of it - if "Where-she-lives-on-Mars" is facing away from Earth when it's Midday in Dorchester - she'll see space instead of us.)
(Or - sea if Dorchester is obscured by the Pacific.)
(Ming's right. I would have done better if Astronomy were given more prominence in the school curriculum.)
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