MIDDAY APPROACHES - START WAVING!

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Ming's Mum will be watching from Mars at Midday.

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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.

(Unless 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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