First of all, why are Shabbat times so late in DC? Candle lighting is 7 minutes later here than in New York, and 12 minutes later than in Boston. I thought the further north, the longer the summer days. My assumption is that the drift east as you go up the coast affects your location within the time zone. The closer to the eastern edge of the time zone, the earlier Shabbat comes in.
Yep, just did a little check, with the help of hebcal.com and mapquest. Bedford, IN, 650 miles due west of Washington DC, takes in Shabbat 38 minutes LATER than DC. They must be at the edge of the time zone.
Well, no. I just checked Washington, IN, 47 miles west of Bedford, and Shabbat there is exactly an hour earlier than Bedford, affected by nothing but the time zone change. Which makes sense, I now realize (chagrined, perhaps by my ill-considered theory above). It's not like the sun is going to set earlier in Washington, IN, than in Bedford, which is east...
Now that last paragraph makes no sense. I was being stupid, and assuming that I been stupid, but I wasn't being stupid, so IGNORE that last paragraph. I was going to erase it, but then thought that an open-source experience of my mind might be entertaining, and generate a few extra comments.
SO---> The whole Washington, Indiana thing is the POINT! Here's a chart, from East to West...
XXX You know what, I've realized that this is all more complex than I need it to be right now, but soon, barring massive reader protest (which means 2 comments), I will some day take you on a virtual journey, from Washington, DC to Leoti, Kansas, from Atlanta to Cincinnati through Bluegrass Country, and we will virtually kindle the Shabbes lights at each stop along the way. It will be virtually entertaining.
And now for the next post-
Yep, just did a little check, with the help of hebcal.com and mapquest. Bedford, IN, 650 miles due west of Washington DC, takes in Shabbat 38 minutes LATER than DC. They must be at the edge of the time zone.
Well, no. I just checked Washington, IN, 47 miles west of Bedford, and Shabbat there is exactly an hour earlier than Bedford, affected by nothing but the time zone change. Which makes sense, I now realize (chagrined, perhaps by my ill-considered theory above). It's not like the sun is going to set earlier in Washington, IN, than in Bedford, which is east...
Now that last paragraph makes no sense. I was being stupid, and assuming that I been stupid, but I wasn't being stupid, so IGNORE that last paragraph. I was going to erase it, but then thought that an open-source experience of my mind might be entertaining, and generate a few extra comments.
SO---> The whole Washington, Indiana thing is the POINT! Here's a chart, from East to West...
XXX You know what, I've realized that this is all more complex than I need it to be right now, but soon, barring massive reader protest (which means 2 comments), I will some day take you on a virtual journey, from Washington, DC to Leoti, Kansas, from Atlanta to Cincinnati through Bluegrass Country, and we will virtually kindle the Shabbes lights at each stop along the way. It will be virtually entertaining.
And now for the next post-
3 comments:
massive reader protest
2nd massive reader protest
Protest, protest.
We're here,
we leer,
and sometimes post (anonymously).
Possible wrinkle in the time zone thing is Daylight Savings, which isn't followed everywhere Indiana (as well as other places). So with some towns or counties not springing forward and falling back, it could be 22 minutes early and then 38 minutes late. Did that confuse it more?
Anyway, I was watching the tube and learned something. If you have a watch and can see the sun, you have everything you need to figure out directions -- North, South, etc. Stand so that the hour hand on your watch is pointing towards the sun. Then halfway between that hour hand and the twelve is due south.
Since I don't actually own a watch and the clock at work is attached to the wall, I had to wait until I saw someone with a watch to try it out, but it worked. Does it work the other way? If I know due south and can find the sun, should I be able to determine what time it is? I expect I would have to test it out a few more times...
But then which way is south in those Indiana towns?
Have a great day.
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