[HPforGrownups] Re: Umbridge, detention, scars, and plotlines, oh my!. - Clumsy?

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 126153

On 15 Mar 2005 at 17:32, eggplant9998 wrote:

> If I were her editor I would timidly suggest only two changes to OOTP: 
> 
> 1)  In the final exam Harry is looking at Venus and Orion, but Venus
> can only be seen near sunrise or sunset and this was about midnight,
> and Orion is a winter constellation and it was June. Change it to
> Saturn and Polaris.

The thing is from an astronomical point of view, I've analysed the astronomy and it's 
marginally possible given Hogwarts likely location for both these things to be seen in 
June.

With Venus, the key is that Hogwarts is located quite a considerable distance north of 
the equator - and therefore in summer, sunset comes late and sunrise comes early. So 
even though Venus can be seen only within a relatively short period near sunrise and 
sunset, that can also be very late, or very early.

When I did my astronomical analysis taking into accounts the likely dates that the 
astronomy exam took place and locations in the general area where Hogwarts most 
likely is, the 'best' match I found was where Venus rose at 2.54am. But if we're wrong 
on, say, the year, we could conceivably get an earlier time.

Orion is more problematic - but it's just very marginally possible. While it is generally 
speaking a winter constellation, it does pop up over the horizon in June in the northern 
hemisphere - from the perspective of utility in the astronomy lesson, it's very marginal 
because it only *just* manages to rise on one of the likely dates before the sun rises and 
sweeps away its visibility.

I agree, by the way, that it would have been better if other planets and constellations 
were used (although I would point out that Polaris is a star, not a constellation, and so is 
not a proper substitute for Orion - Ursa Minor might be a better choice), but in all 
honesty I'd be very surprised if most editors knew enough astronomy to pick problems 
like that - some would, but they can't be experts on everything.

It's not the first astronomical problem to creep into the books either - Mars was *not* 
particularly bright (by its standards) at the time frame indicated in the Philosopher's 
Stone.

The thing is - an author can't nitpick every little detail of course - and once a book goes 
out into the world, experts (or at least the informed and semi-informed) can probably find 
problems with all sorts of things.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia