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From: lew@ihlpa.UUCP (Lew Mammel, Jr.)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: precession of perihelion
Message-ID: <131@ihlpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Feb-85 14:55:13 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlpa.131
Posted: Mon Feb 25 14:55:13 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 08:34:45 EST
References: <183@npois.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 10

I believe that the time of perihelion is most simply measured by
recording the time of occurrence of the equinoxes and solstices.

For example, if the winter solstice occurs at perihelion there will
be less time between autumnal and vernal equinoxes than vice versa.
I think Aristarchus measured the eccentricity of the earth's orbit
in this way.  Measuring the change in the duration of the intervals
would be the next step, I suppose.

	Lew Mammel, Jr. ihnp4!ihlpa!lew ( I'm back )