Hi Roy,
On , you wrote me:

 RW> 06 Jul 08 15:55, Mark Lewis wrote to Roy Witt:

 ML>> Hi Roy, On , you wrote me:

 ML>>>> right, i understand... just for clarification, 180 degrees on the
 ML>>>> compass is south, 90 is east, etc... also, 10 degrees
in elevation
 ML>>>> is about one fist width when held at arms length... make a fist
 ML>>>> like you would if you were holding a broom... your
thumb is at the
 ML>>>> top... hold your arm out with the bottom of your fist
even with the
 ML>>>> horizon... the top of your fist is about 10 degrees... now either
 ML>>>> move your fist up a bit so that bottom is where the top
was or put
 ML>>>> your other fist on top... now the top is about 20 degrees up...

 RW>>> What time is it at one fist above the horizon?

 ML>> well... IIRC, each finger is about 15 minutes or so... so one
 ML>> clenched fist would be about one hour...

 RW> No, that would be 1 hour and 15 minutes. You've excluded the thumb in
 RW> your calculations.

yup because it isn't on top taking up any space when i make a fist... it is
beside my index finger and bent at the knuckle so that it is across my
middle finger...

now, if i was holding it flat with my little finger toward the ground and
my thumb on top toward the sky, palm toward me, then i'd agree with ya ;)

IME, only girls and girly-boys/men make a fist with their thumbs on top of
their index finger ;)

 ML>> as for the actual time, that would depend on the season but in
 ML>> general, four fingers would indicate one hour after sunrise or one
 ML>> hour before sunset ;)

 RW> True. So if one knows the actual time of sunset or sunrise, one can
 RW> tell pretty close to what time it is.

yup...

 ML>> when i was in the scouts and we were doing this in the western half
 ML>> of the sky, it meant that it was time to get camp set up... in the
 ML>> morning, doing it in the east, it meant that it was time to break
 ML>> camp and GTHOOD ;)

 RW> I do this in the field when bird hunting. Shooting hours are enforced
 RW> by the game wardens and they're scheduled around the rise and setting
 RW> of the sun. 'no shooting until 1/2 hour after sunrise', etc...

 ML>>  Weep not thou tenderfoot fair,
 ML>>  Weep not for clocks or pie;
 ML>>  There is no pastry in the air
 ML>>  Nor doughnuts in the sky.

 RW> And when, at early morning, A faint flush comes to me,
 RW> Reflected from those glowing skies I almost weep to see;

 RW> His spirit drinks with mine.

-=8-)

Bye bye!
  mark

 * SeM. 2.26  * Just a peaceful person in a violent world.