[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) Throwing cold water on "hot drinks"
Norman McLeod's suggestion to drink cold water as a way to stay hydrated
reminded me of the report that Lewis Swift did the same during his
night-long searches for comets. Swift was then observing from the roof of a
cider mill in Rochester, NY during frigid winters there. I guess it worked
for Swift, who discovered about thirteen new comets during his career.
Rich Taib
>From: nmcleod@peganet.com
>Reply-To: meteorobs@jovian.com
>To: meteorobs@jovian.com
>Subject: (meteorobs) Re: dilation + REPOST Hot drinks
>Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001 03:43:36 -0500 (EST)
>
>Back on 1999 Nov 14 I had this to say about hot drinks :
>
> >Another problem awaits those taking freely of hot drinks on cold nights
>when
> >less fluid is needed for hydration. On the first weekend after the
> >Quadrantids of 1976 I went observing in the Everglades with rather cold
>low
> >40'sF. I was fortified with a thermos of hot chocolate courtesy of my
> >mother. (Living in Miami with parents at the time.) After warming up
>with
> >a healthy swig, twenty minutes later right on schedule an equal volume of
> >fluid was making ready to say hi. Out of the sleeping bag -- loss of
>heat
> >-- sudden loss of fluid -- more loss of heat. Perfect time to drink more
> >while up and atom, and the cycle began afresh.
> >
> >I never did that again ; having repeated boom-bust warming cycles just
> >wasn't worth it. A bit of cold water is refreshing even on cold nights
>to
> >stay comfortably hydrated.
>
>I don't think eating raw carrots to get vitamin A does any good. Carrots
>have a heavy cellular structure, and they need to be cooked to release the
>vitamin. Jeff Corder, telescope user, was making like a rabbit at night
>for
>a short time in the late 80's trying to help his night vision. He quickly
>tired of that.
>
>A wide-open pupil at night changes your focus. Stronger glasses are needed
>to offset the wide pupil.
>
>About 5 years ago I measured my dark-adapted pupil as 7 mm. Was surprised
>it was still that large for my age (almost 50 at the time.) I used a
>millimeter ruler just below my eye in front of a mirror with the minimum
>amount of red light needed to see everything. Last fall the optometrist
>didn't bother using a dilating drug for an eye exam as he saw my pupil was
>already large enough to see inside adequately. It all makes sense from an
>observing standpoint, as I still achieve the same star limiting magnitudes
>as always along with no noticeable reduction in long-term meteor rates.
>
>Norman
>
>Norman W. McLeod III
>Staff Advisor
>American Meteor Society
>
>Fort Myers, Florida
>nmcleod@peganet.com
>
>To UNSUBSCRIBE from the 'meteorobs' email list, use the Web form at:
>http://www.tiacdot net/users/lewkaren/meteorobs/subscribe.html
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from the 'meteorobs' email list, use the Web form at:
http://www.tiacdot net/users/lewkaren/meteorobs/subscribe.html