Somehow this comes off to me as something that should already have been decided, but since I can't find it anywhere, I'll ask it here (hey, you've got to do *something* to increase activity in this place): What is the obliquity of the ecliptic of Micras?
I'm kind of hoping it's similar or identical to that of the Earth, since I already pretty much determined Straylight's climate based on that assumption...
Axial tilt of Micras?
Moderator: Shyriath
-
Ari Rahikkala
- Posts: 4326
- Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2001 12:56 pm
- Contact:
-
hypatias mom
- Posts: 2522
- Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2005 7:42 am
- Location: Northern California
- Contact:
Axial tilt of Micras?
Hi, Ari! Glad to see you posting. Sorry I can't help you with the axial tilt question, but it's good to see you here. Are you back now? Hope to see you here a lot more. And, yes, we really do need to increase activity in this place.
-
Guest
I've got ten days to go, so no, I'm not back yet, but it won't be long anymore. I'll be spending the summer trying to find things to do in Rantsila (the countryside home).
I'm starting to consider the original question kind of pointless since looking at the calendar reminded me that everyone basically assumes that we've got Earth's axial tilt or something very close to it. Therefore, I'll repurpose this thread for posting the stuff I'd been working on that actually depended (slightly) on the question. Open up the Shirithian Calendar and the Sanct map in tabs for reference and behold these random notes about Straylightian climate:
In the winter, Straylightian weather is dominated by southwesternly trade winds. These winds are relatively dry - for instance, Backbone Site gets only nine days of precipitation per month on average between Anandjan and Semisuary. The temperatures are also nice, usually near twenty degrees celsius at Backbone site.
The summer, on the other hand, is not usually considered a very pleasant time to live in Straylight. The strong winds from Raynor Sea, blowing through the wide Gaeos Strait, overwhelm the prevailing winds from the north and push the ITCZ far north - in most years, far enough to touch Musica and Aracigrad at its northern edge for a month or two, and when a double ITCZ forms and the northwesternlies are especially strong, even far enough that Sanctuary Dome could be considered to be within it. At this time, most of the major sancts - from Gensym to Deep Trouble, from Much Rejoicing to Sargassum - are within the doldrums, with only unpredictable light gusts of wind occasionally taking the heat elsewhere.
Discontinuity(*) is a more complex case, as the climate causes some strange effects to happen in it due to the power plant of the city. Discontinuity runs the largest of the three OTEC plants feeding city networks in Straylight, pumping up massive (the calculations for how much "massive" means are in Oulu so I can't reach them now) amounts of water at a temperature of about ten degrees centigrade. The surrounding air is, in the summer, usually at least twenty degrees warmer.
In the summer, the air inside the city is dehumidified and conditioned (being usually first refrigerated with the heat sink of the OTEC plant to fourteen degrees, then reheated with solar power to about twenty, in order to reduce the humidity of the ocean air to sane levels). Thanks to this, being indoors in the summer in Discontinuity is just as pleasant as it is in the winter. Outside is a different matter. The moisture of the sea air condenses on every surface outside of the city, keeping the top decks damp even when it's not raining. Since it usually is raining in the summer, however, this is not considered to be a problem. The locals simply make sure that they don't use metal items that aren't rust-proof, and carefully wash everything that seems to be becoming too green.
In the spring and autumn, the ITCZ passes through Straylight. In most sancts, it simply means an annoying period when there's no prevailing wind. In Discontinuity, Ifnin and the period from approximately mid-Breizan to mid-Anandjan are known as the Fogmoons. The reason for this is that as the winds calm down and moisture is at its highest, a dense cloud of fog develops around Discontinuity. It's been known to get so thick that you can sail a hundred meters from the port, look back, and see nothing but the docklights. It's been said that the happiest day of the year in Discontinuity is most likely to occur on the first week of Anandjan, as the winds from the north finally blow the clouds of fog away and bring with them a fresh, dry chill for the winter.
(*) A note for clarity: Discontinuity is largely a simple platform, with an artificial breakwave protecting it - it's not mounted on a spar, it's on the surface. Most sancts use the floating spar platform instead.
I'm starting to consider the original question kind of pointless since looking at the calendar reminded me that everyone basically assumes that we've got Earth's axial tilt or something very close to it. Therefore, I'll repurpose this thread for posting the stuff I'd been working on that actually depended (slightly) on the question. Open up the Shirithian Calendar and the Sanct map in tabs for reference and behold these random notes about Straylightian climate:
In the winter, Straylightian weather is dominated by southwesternly trade winds. These winds are relatively dry - for instance, Backbone Site gets only nine days of precipitation per month on average between Anandjan and Semisuary. The temperatures are also nice, usually near twenty degrees celsius at Backbone site.
The summer, on the other hand, is not usually considered a very pleasant time to live in Straylight. The strong winds from Raynor Sea, blowing through the wide Gaeos Strait, overwhelm the prevailing winds from the north and push the ITCZ far north - in most years, far enough to touch Musica and Aracigrad at its northern edge for a month or two, and when a double ITCZ forms and the northwesternlies are especially strong, even far enough that Sanctuary Dome could be considered to be within it. At this time, most of the major sancts - from Gensym to Deep Trouble, from Much Rejoicing to Sargassum - are within the doldrums, with only unpredictable light gusts of wind occasionally taking the heat elsewhere.
Discontinuity(*) is a more complex case, as the climate causes some strange effects to happen in it due to the power plant of the city. Discontinuity runs the largest of the three OTEC plants feeding city networks in Straylight, pumping up massive (the calculations for how much "massive" means are in Oulu so I can't reach them now) amounts of water at a temperature of about ten degrees centigrade. The surrounding air is, in the summer, usually at least twenty degrees warmer.
In the summer, the air inside the city is dehumidified and conditioned (being usually first refrigerated with the heat sink of the OTEC plant to fourteen degrees, then reheated with solar power to about twenty, in order to reduce the humidity of the ocean air to sane levels). Thanks to this, being indoors in the summer in Discontinuity is just as pleasant as it is in the winter. Outside is a different matter. The moisture of the sea air condenses on every surface outside of the city, keeping the top decks damp even when it's not raining. Since it usually is raining in the summer, however, this is not considered to be a problem. The locals simply make sure that they don't use metal items that aren't rust-proof, and carefully wash everything that seems to be becoming too green.
In the spring and autumn, the ITCZ passes through Straylight. In most sancts, it simply means an annoying period when there's no prevailing wind. In Discontinuity, Ifnin and the period from approximately mid-Breizan to mid-Anandjan are known as the Fogmoons. The reason for this is that as the winds calm down and moisture is at its highest, a dense cloud of fog develops around Discontinuity. It's been known to get so thick that you can sail a hundred meters from the port, look back, and see nothing but the docklights. It's been said that the happiest day of the year in Discontinuity is most likely to occur on the first week of Anandjan, as the winds from the north finally blow the clouds of fog away and bring with them a fresh, dry chill for the winter.
(*) A note for clarity: Discontinuity is largely a simple platform, with an artificial breakwave protecting it - it's not mounted on a spar, it's on the surface. Most sancts use the floating spar platform instead.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests