THE CALENDAR

The system of leap years introduced by the Gregorian Calendar leads to the tropical year being quite accurately measured. The tropical year consists of 365.2422 days. When 365 days are allocated to the ordinary year, an error of -0.2422 days is introduced each year. After 4 years this amounts to –0.9688 day. This is compensated for by adding one day every 4 years – a leap day, so that the leap year has 366 days. By so doing, an error of +0.0312 day is made every 4 years. In 25 cycles of 4 years, i.e., in 100 years, the error amounts to 25 x 0.0312, namely +0.780 day. Every 100 years, therefore, the leap day is skipped and an error of –0.22 day is made. In 400 years this amounts to 4 x –0.22 = -0.88 day. Thus every fourth century has to be a leap year. By doing so 1 – 0.88, namely +0.12 day too much is added every 400 years. After 3200 years (= 8 x 400) an error of 8 x +0.12 = + 0.96 day is made. Thus the year 3200 will not be a leap year, even though 3200 is divisible by 400. By doing this, the error introduced every 3200 years is – 0.04 day. This will amount to – 1 day exactly in 25 x 3200, namely 80,000 years. The year 80,000 must, therefore, be a leap year, leaving an error of 0.00 days. Then the cycle begins again!

Setting it out in tabular form may help :

HOW SHOULD THE YEAR BE SUBDIVIDED?

Psychologists tell you that frequent rest periods while working are better than rest periods at longer intervals. So much so that the week of 7 days which originally had one resting day, has become a week of 7 days with 1 ½ , and in most cases, 2 resting days, all slumped together at the end of the week.

If now, we had a week of 5 days, of which 4 days would be working days and one day a resting day, we will have complied with the demand of more frequent resting days. If we take 360 days of the year to be divided into a calendar, we could have 12 months, each of 30 days in length, and each month will consist of 6 weeks, each of 5 days. Call the 5 days of the week Monde, Sol, Luna, Stella and Pax. There will then be 72 resting days in the year. The Churches would have 72 opportunities to harangue the flock, instead of only 52. The remaining 5 days and 6 days every four years, could be judiciously spread among the months as universal holidays. All occasions that need celebrating could be delegated to one or the other of the 5 or 6 days. One of the holidays could be celebrated as New Year’s Day, and this would be of universal application. The 6th day of the leap year could be celebrated as half-year/s day. The remaining four days could be celebrated as Fathers’ Day, Mothers’ Day, Children’s Day and Workers’ Day. Then everybody would be happy.

With 12 moths, each of 6 weeks, it would be very easy for accountants to calculate half years, one-third years, quarter years, even one-fifth years, and one-sixth years. Even the working week could be divided into halves and quarters.

Thus the holidays could be spread as follows :

New Year’s Day, January, February, Fathers’ Day, March, April,

Workers’ Day, May, June, Half-Year’s Day (every 4 years), July, August,

Mothers’ Day, September, October, Children’s Day, November, December.

Eben van Zyl

* * * * *

TELESCOPE FOR SALE

CELESTRON SP C80 Refractor - 80mm with tripod, eyepieces and accessories. Asking price is R5000 o.n.o. For more details contact Sandra at home 849-2725 or cell phone 083-448-5299.

TELESCOPE WANTED

6" OR 8" NEWTONIAN telescope with equatorial mount. Please contact Tony Golding at home (011) 648-5150, work (012) 317-9223, or by e-mail tony@mepta.pwv.gov.za.