Name two things that signifify a trip around the sun

[pattiecake]

My Professor posed a riddle in class today. He said "Question: Name two things that signify a trip around the sun".

I not very good at riddles, but I know that Earth travels around the sun once a year. Thus the changing of seasons could be argued as signifiers (earth rotates on it's axis as it revolves). Any other thoughts?

 

[tony873004]

There's probably many:

You're 1 year older
You've got to pay taxes again
Trees have another ring around them


Of course you don't have to be on Earth to have a trip around the Sun. On any planet, the Sun is in the same constellation as it was exactly 1 trip ago.

 

[The Bob]

How about the red shift of light is the same as to one measured some time ago (well a year). This would be true as the Earth's orbit is not circular around the Sun.

The Bob (2004 ©)

 

[marcus]

My Professor posed a riddle in class today. He said "Question: Name two things that signify a trip around the sun".

maybe he means two WORDS signifying a trip around the sun.

two words that both mean a trip around the sun are

YEAR

and

ORBIT

the orbit is the path in space that goes around the sun, it is usually oval shape.
the year is the time that the trip takes, to go along the orbit.

 

[marcus]

My Professor posed a riddle in class today. He said "Question: Name two things that signify a trip around the sun".

now maybe he does not want two words, maybe he wants two SIGNS that a full orbit has been accomplished and that exactly one year has elapsed.


1. One sign is the passage of an equinox or solstice. Like start counting on the Summer Solstice---the longest daylight day of the year---and wait till it comes round again.

You can tell the Summer Solstice by marking where the sun sets. stand in a certain spot and find out the farthest north it sets. say the farthest north it sets is on the point of some mountain. so remember that and wait until it happens again and sets right on that mountain... that's one year

2. Another sign is what stars are overhead at midnight.

Like, go out at midnight tonite and see what constellation is on the meridian (the northsouth line right overhead) and remember that constellation.

then when you begin to robins next year remember to go out at midnight again and see if that same constellation is on the meridian. if it is, then that is a year.

those are SIGNS of a full trip. the WORDS for a full trip are, like I said in the previous post, "orbit" and "year"

 

[pattiecake]

Ok, he said time (a year) is one thing.

The other thing or concept is something we all have inside of us...Any further ideas?

 

[marcus]

Ok, he said time (a year) is one thing.

The other thing or concept is something we all have inside of us...Any further ideas?

if it doesn't cost you any points to guess wrong, and you don't mind just guessing, try "energy"

I don't know why that occurs to me.


there is no accounting for how some people think

 

[marcus]

more importantly patticake, are you having fun?
is astronomy a fun class?
are you having at all a good time at this PF message board, I hope so



I suggested that, if it doesn't hurt to guess, you try "energy" as a way of distinguishing a particular orbit around the sun
the reason is that what he means by "signify" could be MEASURE.

like he says that one answer is TIME, right
well for me time does not 'signify' a full orbit, time is a way of measuring and orbit-----and the Earth's orbit measures one year (of time)

so how else would you measure or quantify an orbit?
well you could designate the orbit by saying its radius. like that it is is 93 million miles out from sun-----or 150 million kilometers.

but distance is not in each one of us body (hhmmmm or is it?)

how else could you quantify or measure or designate a particular orbit?

well you could say the Earth orbit is rougly circular with roughly a SPEED of 30 kilometers a second. that would distinguish it from Mars orbit which is slower, or Jupiter orbit whcih is even slower

but speed is not in everyones body (hmmmm or is it?)

so how else could you measure or designate some particular orbit around the sun?

 

[Creator]

My Professor posed a riddle in class today. He said "Question: Name two things that signify a trip around the sun".

I not very good at riddles, but I know that Earth travels around the sun once a year. Thus the changing of seasons could be argued as signifiers (earth rotates on it's axis as it revolves). Any other thoughts?

1. Stellar parallax.

2. The apparent motion of the sun through the constellations every 12 months.

Creator

--Judges and politicians are like baby diapers... both need to be changed often...and for the same reason!--

 

[pattiecake]

Birthdays!