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Re: a grand tradition
From: John Huth
Date: 2011 Oct 21, 06:56 -0400

It can be learned. My parents now look at the rising position of the sun, using trees and other markers close to the horizon to chart the seasons. I have a number of students from past years e-mail me with anecdotes of things they've noticed or used to their benefit. That's why I try in my course to get them outside to actually experience things. Teaching the motion of the stars is tricky, particularly in the mid-latitudes with a mixture of circumpolar and rising/setting stars. Even my teaching assistants get confused.

Speaking of sun/moon dogs. I've been waiting about a year to get a decent photo of one. I caught a few sun dogs, but that was when the sun was close to the horizon and the dog was mainly at the horizontal. Last week, I caught a photo of the moon through a fish-eye lens with a 360 degree moon dog.

On Thu, Oct 20, 2011 at 7:52 PM, Frank Reed <FrankReed@historicalatlas.com> wrote:

John H., you wrote:
"I agree that part of the problem is that it's a disconnected fact - but is part of their every day experience nonetheless. The answer is right around them."

That's very true, and that's one big lesson you're trying to teach them, I would imagine. But it's really tricky. People see what they know. Most people have no idea how high the Sun is at apparent noon in winter versus summer. My favorite example on this score is seeing the Moon in daylight. People go their whole lives believing that the Moon is only visible at night. When they do see the Moon in daylight, I have often wondered what thought process occurs. Do they think it's a cloud that looks like the Moon? Do they think it's some sort of mirage or reflection? Or do their minds simply ignore the visual information? Seeing sun dogs is similar. They happen quite regularly. But most people don't "see" them.

-FER
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