From
Popular Astronomy, published by Goodsell Observatory,
Northfield, Minnesota, USA, January 1944
(Printed in The Journal of
Calendar Reform, Volume 16, First Quarter 1946, page 45)
…. .THE
calendar is a man-made device for the purpose of recording the repetitious
phenomena of the heavenly bodies. Each
time the earth completes a rotation on its axis, the calendar records a day;
each time the moon completes a revolution around the earth, the calendar,
approximately, records a month; each time the sun completes its cycle of
movement among the stars, the calendar records a year; each time the celestial
pole completes a circle in the sky, the calendar records a Great Year. (Since this last is some 26,000 ordinary
years in length, it will not concern us greatly at present.)
The day,
the month, and the year, as determined by natural events, are not commensurable
with each other. Consequently, adjustments are necessary from time to time to
keep the calendar in step with the actual circumstances. These required adjustments are thoroughly
understood and the present calendar will serve its purpose for an indefinite
period. Although the astronomer’s
knowledge is essential to its construction, every civilized person makes use of
it and instinctively resists change.
However,
any thoughtful person upon reflection will agree that at one point a change is
desirable. The distribution of the days
in the several months is arbitrary. As
at present it is irregular, inconvenient, and irrational. Historically it represents the whims of
several ruling monarchs and not a scientific necessity. An arrangement whereby one might know,
without looking at a printed schedule, the day of the week on which a given
date would invariably fall, would be a vast improvement.
Now we are
aware that we are living in One World and that civilization is undergoing
fundamental and radical changes. It
would seem, therefore, that the time for a highly desirable and greatly needed
Calendar Reform is here.
Links to this document:
www.TheWorldCalendar.org/TheCalendar.pdf
and
www.TheWorldCalendar.org/TheCalendar.htm
E-mail to: TWCA@TheWorldCalendar.org
Rev. 6 August 2009