I have a serious question about sun/moon position

Originally posted by KSprepared
I am just curious if all astronomers today are using computers and gps to guide their telescopes. And secondly has anyone used a sextant and an old paper chart to check if it is accurate. I tried googling and youtubing the subject, but can only find experimenting with location done by electronic means. Are these programs downloaded and updated regularly through government controlled data points? I'm not an astronomer or a sailor, so I don't know anything about it.

Simon Newcomb's book "The Elements of the Four Inner Planets and the Fundamental Constants of Astronomy" contains data on where the sun should be at the moment of solstice of various epochs extending to the year 2500 and you can use his information to even extrapolate farther out or to calculate it for any arbitrary epoch you desire. His predictions agree with today's data, including data derived from computer software, to within an arcsecond. This is just one example of many of how very old books, this one going on 116 years in age, contain predictions on where the sun should be that agree with today's data and predictions.

My telescope is electronic, but does not use GPS and its software cannot be updated without physically replacing the memory chips on its motherboard. It has shown me that the sun is right where it should be, and if the weather around here would ever clear up, I'd also make a little astrometry-based video to show this fact in one continuous cut which doesn't even rely on the telescope's own positional readings.

reply to post by OMsk3ptic


Yeah it's called a solar minimum. When you have a solar minimum you have less sun spots, this minimum you had hardly even one.

solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov...

reply to post by ngchunter


Yes I knew it would be almost undetectable to most people and equipment, thanks for your post. And it's a good thing someone measure, guess I'll go drink a beer.

Originally posted by Nobama
on a serious note, our axis has shifted, so there's a possibility that some areas of the Earth will experience different risings and settings

If there was a shift in the axis big enough to be noticed, why would it be noticed in some areas?

I keep seeing these threads started where people are saying the sun or moon is out of place

Those people are wrong. The Sun and Moon are exactly where they are supposed to be.