when to change to BST

[oldpink]

I'm hoping to get out tonight and hopefully get a few hours in

but I'm not sure when I need to swap over to BST which kicks in tonight

I assume that as long as I don't reset the goto it should be fine
but if I have to reset after Midnight should I turn on BST and set the clock accordingly

also what about software like Stellarium / CdC I assume they will change when the laptops system settings change
if that happens I assume I will have to reset the goto to account for the change in the software

thanks for any advice in advance

[knobby]

1 am Sunday morning...

https://www.gov.uk/when-do-the-clocks-change

[ronin]

You would only change to BST/DST ON when you start entering the time in BST.

You can actually run all year without it, some people do since the standard time in astronomy is UTC, just you have to remember to supply UTC to the scope/mount when setting it up not the time on your watch.

In effect you alter your watch to BST, which is 1 hour ahead, you tell the unit that you are on BST and the unit takes an hour off to get bsck to UTC.

[oldpink]

well turned out its not a problem
cloud killed off any chance of getting out before the change
I'll set up for BST as my laptop will automatically adjust and Stellarium is set to system time as is CdC, and most of my other astronomy software

so everything should reset to the BST changeover

[andyman]

One hour less observing time and only oing to get worse.wont be too long before we wont be observing until midnight... arrr

[todd8137]

Will gps units switch this auto ?

[oldpink]

most likely

most GPS units take there time from the GPS signals

[Charic]

oldpink........Hi, I know this is a little late in the day for this thread, but nevertheless, some further info.

In the UK, time is set forward by One Hour during the Summer, and we adopt British Summer Time, as opposed to the normal Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) / Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT).

Coordinated Universal Time ( written as UTC )  replaces GMT. UTC  is  adjusted to be as close as possible to the Mean Solar Time of the Meridian at Greenwich in London! If you see GMT or UTC, they are basically the same, 

Time "Springs" forward in Spring, by One Hour, at 0100 GMT, on last Sunday of March.

Time "Falls"  back in the Fall by one Hour, at 0200 BST (British Summer Time)on the Last Sunday in October.

The time change is important to everyone using charts or printed materials. You should be aware of this time change. Most printed software out there will advise, in the small print! to subtract ONE HOUR from the printed information, to take into account of Daylight Saving Time, ( DST) when  imposed at your location.

Most modern technology has the ability to keep in time, by the way its software is programmed. 

Airlines of the World, Shipping &  Militaries still work in GMT despite the Summertime designation.

[Owmuchonomy]

oldpink........Hi, I know this is a little late in the day for this thread, but nevertheless, some further info.

In the UK, time is set forward by One Hour during the Summer, and we adopt British Summer Time, as opposed to the normal Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) / Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT).

Coordinated Universal Time ( written as UTC ) replaces GMT. UTC is adjusted to be as close as possible to the Mean Solar Time of the Meridian at Greenwich in London! If you see GMT or UTC, they are basically the same,

Time "Springs" forward in Spring, by One Hour, at 0100 GMT, on last Sunday of March.

Time "Falls" back in the Fall by one Hour, at 0200 BST (British Summer Time)on the Last Sunday in October.

The time change is important to everyone using charts or printed materials. You should be aware of this time change. Most printed software out there will advise, in the small print! to subtract ONE HOUR from the printed information, to take into account of Daylight Saving Time, ( DST) when imposed at your location.

Most modern technology has the ability to keep in time, by the way its software is programmed.

Airlines of the World, Shipping & Militaries still work in GMT despite the Summertime designation.

Yes, and the French were the last lot to adopt GMT in 1911 I believe! ;-)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ScottS]

  Thought this was going to be a thread about Starguider EP's.

[LukeSkywatcher]

The whole purpose of daylight savings was introduced to try to cut down on the number of people being killed on the roads (IIRC). Looking,reading,hearing about the annual stats here in Ireland.......................daylight saving has not and does not work.

Abolish it and we can all still get our 8 hrs sleep a night. I'm not being flippant, its true. It serves no purpose.

[JamesF]

Daylight Savings Time really took hold during the First World War as a means of reducing consumption of fuel and since then some countries have stuck with it whilst others gave it up and adopted it again later.  The UK even went BST-only in the late 60s for a few years I think.  Some people like it, some people don't, but I don't think there are really any genuinely compelling reasons to have it or not.  The road safety aspect is often trotted out as a reason for wanting lighter mornings in the winter and indeed there is evidence (from the UK and elsewhere) to support the fact that there are fewer accidents in the mornings in such circumstances.  Sadly most supporters citing this reason fail to look any further.  If they did they'd find that whilst accidents at one time of day might be reduced, the overall number of accidents seems to be largely unaffected.

it all seems a bit pointless to me.  We could start school or work or anything else at whatever hour we want and it would work just as well.  That we have become slaves to a method of marking time that should serve us is so predictable it's hardly even ironic.

On a tangent, I wonder how many people now work in an environment where there is no significant natural light and wouldn't be able to tell you, were you to remove their access to clocks, what time of day it was (or even if it were dark or light outside) anyhow?

James

[LukeSkywatcher]

On a tangent, I wonder how many people now work in an environment where there is no significant natural light and wouldn't be able to tell you, were you to remove their access to clocks, what time of day it was (or even if it were dark or light outside) anyhow?

I agree. Time (in measured units), is a recent(ish) man-made concept. Before it, all we knew was day from night. Humans are the only species of life on this planet who live by measured units of time (MATHMATICALLY),that i know of.

All other species live by an internal biological clock/mechanism. 

[Gomtuu]

When setting up my Synscan, I usually stick with BST rather than faffing around with the DST options. Makes my life much easier.

[Cornelius Varley]

When setting up my Synscan, I usually stick with BST rather than faffing around with the DST options. Makes my life much easier.

I think you mean GMT. BST is DST = GMT + 1

[Gomtuu]

I think you mean GMT. BST is DST = GMT + 1

D'oh! Quite right, I meant GMT!