Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!sky-fans
From: SWG@MIT-XX.ARPA (S. W. Galley)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: please add
Message-ID: <12167370598.30.SWG@MIT-XX.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 15-Dec-85 15:02:54 EST
Article-I.D.: MIT-XX.12167370598.30.SWG
Posted: Sun Dec 15 15:02:54 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Dec-85 04:10:51 EST
References: <8510251134.AA12359@ucbarpa>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 24

(I added you to the sub-list based on Stanford's geographic position.)

Welcome to the SKY-FANS distribution list.  It began with primarily
local recipients who wanted to see predictions for the next week that
used to be printed on time-sheets posted next to local terminals.  Now,
the MIT-XX Batch system sends a message every Friday morning, giving a
graph of predicted sun & moon rises & sets, plus the "special events" of
the moon's change of phase (e.g. *1Q = first quarter) and the beginning
of seasons (e.g. *SE = spring equinox).  Since the sun position is
calculated quite accurately, the times of sunrise & sunset (defined by
the program as the time when the center of the real sun crosses the
horizon) are also given to the nearest second.  (All times are for the
geographical position of MIT, in Eastern civil time, unless you
requested predictions for some other position.)  Lastly, MIT staff
holidays (and certain other holidays) are shown next to the day number.

Now that the list has grown, it can also be used to announce anything
having to do with astronomical events.  If anyone can supply algorithms
to predict other worthwhile events, I may include those in the weekly
message, too.  The algorithms for sun & moon positions come mainly from
the "Explanatory supplement to the astronomical ephemeris and the
American ephemeris and nautical almanac" (1961) and the "Improved lunar
ephemeris 1952-1959" (1954) from government printing offices.
-------