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iwsteel · 23-08-2010, 20:12

E,
The flare would energize the flux lines more but probably not change their orientation much.

What kind of watch? Quartz? Spring moment?

Ocean Girl · 23-08-2010, 21:08

It was a casio quartz with second hand, I had owned it for at least 6 mo. The thing went nuts by speeding up fast (3 hours in about 15 sec), it did it for at least an hour (Maybe more). The compass was also moving but not so dramatic. At first we stripped the binnacle cause we thought the binox, odd sailing gear and such was causing the changes but when it persisted and I noticed my watch acting funny we realized we weren't in Kansas anymore. If I remember correctly, the compass just shifted 10 degrees or so then would shift again. It was subtle but enough to really confuse the navigator (me) about what was happening. My captain just rolled her eyes at me when I pointed out that we were in the Bermuda triangle (we just came in from the Atlantic), but she did not have an explanation for it either. What would make a watch speed forward?

Erika

paradix · 23-08-2010, 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

What would make a watch speed forward?

Erika

Since you don't mention it, I guess you've ruled out the most obvious cause - a weakening battery. When the voltage drops near the end of the battery's life, a quartz watch can do all sorts of weird stuff.

Ocean Girl · 23-08-2010, 21:36

uh, sure, sure I knew that...

actually that is what I rationalized when it happened, but I began to doubt that theory when it ran fast for so long- it would take a lot of juice to run that thing for than time period. though bad battery is the only logical explanation. Sorry for the thread drift!!
E

iwsteel · 24-08-2010, 03:37

maybe thread drift is caused by astronomical forces...hmmmmmmmmm
the universal ether..lol...still thinking(Warning will robinson...danger)..lol

mintyspilot · 24-08-2010, 03:51

Great idea for a group Erika. Have you noticed Jupiter at night, high overhead and probably the brightest thing in the sky? If you look at it with 10x50 bins you'll see it's four largest moons.

**sneuman** · 24-08-2010, 04:36

The best method is to use a few asterisms (recognizable figures within constellations) to guide you to specific stars. For example, if you "arc" off the handle of the big dipper (ursa major) the first bright star you come to is Arcturus, then if you "spike" down from Arcturus, you get to Spica. Of course the outside of the cup points you to Polaris, the North Star (which for some strange reason lay people think is supposed to be bright - it's not). Of course, the summer triangle's apex is Vega, with Altair and Deneb. The bright blue star in Orion is Rigel, the dimmer red one is Betelguese. Not far away is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky (not to be confused with Venus, the brightest object excluding the Moon). Another easily recognized constellation is Scorpius in the south in the summer. The main red star there is Antares. So, with a couple of handy rules, you've got about 10 key stars northern hemisphere stars right there.

Ocean Girl · 24-08-2010, 07:06

he he, I will put my new found info to good use this weekend, my niece and nephew are spending the night on the boat..

Last night we had a big storm roll through so couldn't see a darn thing.
E

anotherT34C · 24-08-2010, 07:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwsteel

T34
Does the moon have an iron core?

Not sure how hot the moons core is.

But it would be shielded when behind the earth(from the sun) and out front other times.

I will look into it sometime. To tired now.

The moon has an iron core. It's believed to be molten, but no longer convecting (the moon lacks a strong magnetic field). Venus also lacks an appreciable magnetic field. Most of the Earth's heat appears to be in the mantle, and is probably mainly due to heat transport from the cooling core, radio-isotope decay, and some primordial heat. Another weak source of heat would be gravitational tugs from the moon and sun, but I think these sources are calculated to be many orders weaker than the others. I'd be very suprised if magnetic induction from solar flares turned out to have a strong influence.

iwsteel · 24-08-2010, 20:18

T34
i just figured that the solar radiation induced the heat in the core when the earth distorted the flow. That much energy changing course requires a lot of energy to part the plasma i would think. Lucky for us it protects us. oh well so much for my theories..lol

sneuman...thanks very helpfull. I am just beginning to learn about the stars and find them very interesting. I havent studied many books about them but i have studied them. one thing i noticed is that when orions belt comes up on the eastern horizion this fall it makes a perfect tree trunk for a big christmas tree right in the middle of my driveway..lol and i did notice a neet cross in the sky the other night...it was squared up nice and straight too..cant believe i havent noticed it before.

E
yeah thanks for startin all the threads, the compass swing...was it smooth or erratic? yer compass is prolly dampened .but a cheap needle type can pick up needle wobble ....and yer quarts watch crystal vibrates as 10khz i believe... and i dont think it strays off frequency to far(thats why they use it)..to change clock speed you would have to change quarts resonant frequency. very fishy indeed. my quarts never sped up or slowed down when the bat got low it just died. but maybe thats not typical of all. hmmm still thinking...

mintyspilot · 25-08-2010, 02:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwsteel

my quarts never sped up or slowed down when the bat got low it just died. but maybe thats not typical of all. hmmm still thinking...

I have a 25 year old Seiko Quartz and when the battery is getting low the second hand moves in steps of 2 seconds to indicate that a new battery is needed.

Still doesn't answer Erika's question though....

FxdGrMind · 25-08-2010, 18:11

Saw the persied's on my drive in to work....

Need more clear nights here in the PNW for it to be worth buying a telescope. Some day on a small island on the ocean, it will come in handy

Now there are "Aps" for star gazing too! but it makes the user a Nerd...?
What if you already are one....?
Google 'Star Droid' App Will Turn Your Phone Into an Interactive Star Map, You Into a Colossal Nerd (Updated)

**hummingway** · 25-08-2010, 22:51

The problem with a telescope on the boat is that any motion makes it really hard to see the star your looking at! Has any had any success with a telescope on deck?

Ocean Girl · 25-08-2010, 23:52

My brother is a member of an Astronomy Society, he has worked the big telescope over at the George Observatory and has a big beautiful one of his own (I will hunt up a picture). I have gone to the observatory's star partys (too cool). Well I learned real quick not to lean or touch the teles (ask me how I know

) they are very sensitive and the slightest touch could put the scope a million light years from what you were viewing (maybe not a million but it sounds so cool..a million light years ). Anyways, people really freak out when you touch their telescopes so I gather it is a bit hard to find that little dot in the sky.
binox work great on the boat. Can't sleep tonight so I am hitting the hammock for some stargazing..wish me luck.
Erika

Hmm this post begs the question..what is the difference between a geek, a nerd, and a dweeb?