explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1930: Calendar Facts

2017-12-18T18:04:24Z

Kenbellows:

Shouldn't it be "libration" not "libation"? Pretty sure drinking has nothing to do with it. Also pretty sure this is a mistake and not a clever alteration. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.57|162.158.62.57]] 16:41, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
:No, it's a clever alteration because "libration" is listed right above it. --[[User:Videblu|Videblu]] ([[User talk:Videblu|talk]]) 16:45, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
::That's just a mistake - he meant to write 'vibration'[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 16:48, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
:::'Vibration' wouldn't make any sense, 'libation' is at least humorous, I vote it was no mistake. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.64|172.68.54.64]] 18:00, 18 December 2017 (UTC)

I formatted the transcript into a bullet tree since I thought it was the closest equivalent you can get in plain text to the branching flowchart deal in the comic. I'm open to alternative suggestions. The biggest problem I encountered, and one I'd like to see resolved, is what to do in the case where two branching sections butt up against each other, e.g. winter/summer and solstice/Olympics. I used an arrow symbol ("→") on an in-between line just to separate the set of bullets, but if someone wants to change that, I'm up for it. [[User:Kenbellows|Kenbellows]] ([[User talk:Kenbellows|talk]]) 18:04, 18 December 2017 (UTC)

1930: Calendar Facts

2017-12-18T18:00:35Z

Kenbellows: Reformatted into a bullet tree and removed title-case capitalization

{{comic
| number = 1930
| date = December 18, 2017
| title = Calendar Facts
| image = calendar_facts.png
| titletext = While it may seem like trivia, it (causes huge headaches for software developers / is taken advantage of by high-speed traders / triggered the 2003 Northeast Blackout / has to be corrected for by GPS satellites / is now recognized as a major cause of World War I).
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by BLACKHAT / A BOBCAT / TIME TRAVEL / BAD CODE / A VELOCIRAPTOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Randall]] presents what appears to be a generator of 156,000 facts, about calendars, most of which are false or have little meaning{{Citation needed}}.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Title: -Calendar Facts-

''Shown is a branching flow chart of sorts that begins at the phrase "Did you know that", then flows through various paths to build up a sentence. (Note that the "→" arrow symbol is used below to indicate a new branch with no intermediate text from a previous branch.)''

* Did you know that:
** the
*** Fall
*** Spring
*: Equinox
** the
*** Winter
*** Summer
*: →
*:* Solstice
*:* Olympics
** the
*** Earliest
*** Latest
*: →
*:* Sunrise
*:* Sunset
** Daylight
*** Saving
*** Savings
*: Time
** Leap
*** Day
*** Year
** Easter
** the
*** Harvest
*** Super
*** Blood
*: Moon
** Toyota Truck Month
** Shark Week
* →
** happens
*** earlier
*** later
*** at the wrong time
*: every year
** drifts out of sync with the
*** Sun
*** Moon
*** Zodiac
*** →
**** Gregorian
**** Mayan
**** Lunar
**** iPhone
**: Calendar
*** atomic clock in Colorado
** might
*** not happen
*** happen twice
*: this year
* because of
** time zone legislation in
*** Indiana
*** Arizona
*** Russia
** a decree by the pope in the 1500s
** →
*** precession
*** libration
*** nutation
*** libation
*** eccentricity
*** obliquity
*: of the
*:* Moon
*:* Sun
*:* Earth's axis
*:* equator
*:* prime meridian
*:* →
*:** international date
*:** mason-dixon
*:: line
** magnetic field reversal
** an arbutrary decision by
*** Benjamin Franklin
*** Isaac Newton
*** FDR
: ?
* Apparently
** it causes a predictable increase in car accidents.
** that's why we have leap seconds.
** scientists are really worried.
** it was even more extreme during the
*** Bronze Age.
*** Ice Age.
*** Cretaceous.
*** 1990s.
** there's a proposal to fix it, but it
*** will never happen.
*** actually makes things worse.
*** is stalled in congress.
*** might be unconstitutional.
** it's getting worse and no one knows why.

{{comic discussion}}

1828: ISS Solar Transit

2017-04-24T15:43:36Z

Kenbellows: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1828
| date = April 24, 2017
| title = ISS Solar Transit
| image = iss_solar_transit.png
| titletext = I guess it's also the right setting for pictures of the Moon at night.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Cueball]] is trying to take a photograph of the {{w|international space station}} moving in front of the sun ([https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/international-space-station-transits-the-sun example]).

A normal camera is not able to take a photograph of the sun due to the extreme brightness. This is why Cueball is using a {{w|Astronomical_filter|solar filter}}, which makes the sun look orange instead of yellow.

Digital cameras need to determine the color temperature of a photograph to correctly display colors. This is done using the {{w|Color_balance|white balance}} setting.

The joke here is that Cueball selects the "direct sunlight" option, which is normally used for objects directly illuminated by the sun and not for the sun itself.

The use of a solar filter also influences the color temperature, so "custom" would probably be the correct option. A camera using the "custom" option usually requires you to focus on a white or gray object to determine the correct setting.

The title text is pointing out that the sunlit side of the moon is also in direct sunlight, which is why we are able to see it, and so "Direct Sunlight" would be the correct setting in that case as well.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is kneeling in front of a camera attached to a tripod, standing on a small platform, and angled sharply upward toward the sky.]
:Off-screen voice: What's going on?
:Cueball: ISS solar transit. From this spot, the space station should briefly line up with the sun. I got a sun filter and I'm trying to take a picture of it crossing.

:[Image of a very orange sun on a black background, as seen through the camera.]

:Cueball: Perfect. Hmm, I should set the white balance.

:[White balance menu is shown with the following options:]
: - Incandescent
: - Fluorescent
: - Direct sunlight
: - Flash
: - Cloudy
: - Shade
: - Custom

:[Cueball pauses to think.]
:[Selects Direct sunlight.]

{{comic discussion}}

1828: ISS Solar Transit

2017-04-24T15:42:15Z

Kenbellows: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1828
| date = April 24, 2017
| title = ISS Solar Transit
| image = iss_solar_transit.png
| titletext = I guess it's also the right setting for pictures of the Moon at night.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Cueball]] is trying to take a photograph of the {{w|international space station}} moving in front of the sun ([https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/international-space-station-transits-the-sun example]).

A normal camera is not able to take a photograph of the sun due to the extreme brightness. This is why Cueball is using a {{w|Astronomical_filter|solar filter}}, which makes the sun look orange instead of yellow.

Digital cameras need to determine the color temperature of a photograph to correctly display colors. This is done using the {{w|Color_balance|white balance}} setting.

The joke here is that Cueball selects the "direct sunlight" option, which is normally used for objects directly illuminated by the sun and not for the sun itself.

The use of a solar filter also influences the color temperature, so "custom" would probably be the correct option. A camera using the "custom" option usually requires you to focus on a white or gray object to determine the correct setting.

The title text is pointing out that the sunlit side of the moon is also in direct sunlight, which is why we are able to see it, and so "Direct Sunlight" would be the correct setting in that case as well.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is kneeling in front of a camera resting on a small platform.]
:Off-screen voice: What's going on?
:Cueball: ISS solar transit. From this spot, the space station should briefly line up with the sun. I got a sun filter and I'm trying to take a picture of it crossing.

:[Image of a very orange sun on a black background, as seen through the camera.]

:Cueball: Perfect. Hmm, I should set the white balance.

:[White balance menu is shown with the following options:]
: - Incandescent
: - Fluorescent
: - Direct sunlight
: - Flash
: - Cloudy
: - Shade
: - Custom

:[Cueball pauses to think.]
:[Selects Direct sunlight.]

{{comic discussion}}

1828: ISS Solar Transit

2017-04-24T15:40:18Z

Kenbellows: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1828
| date = April 24, 2017
| title = ISS Solar Transit
| image = iss_solar_transit.png
| titletext = I guess it's also the right setting for pictures of the Moon at night.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Cueball]] is trying to take a photograph of the {{w|international space station}} moving in front of the sun ([https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/international-space-station-transits-the-sun example]).

A normal camera is not able to take a photograph of the sun due to the extreme brightness. This is why Cueball is using a {{w|Astronomical_filter|solar filter}}, which makes the sun look orange instead of yellow.

Digital cameras need to determine the color temperature of a photograph to correctly display colors. This is done using the {{w|Color_balance|white balance}} setting.

The joke here is that Cueball selects the "direct sunlight" option, which is normally used for objects directly illuminated by the sun and not for the sun itself.

The use of a solar filter also influences the color temperature, so "custom" would probably be the correct option. A camera using the "custom" option usually requires you to focus on a white or gray object to determine the correct setting.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is kneeling in front of a telescope resting on a small platform.]
:Off-screen voice: What's going on?
:Cueball: ISS solar transit. From this spot, the space station should briefly line up with the sun. I got a sun filter and I'm trying to take a picture of it crossing.

:[Image of a very orange sun on a black background, as seen through the telescope.]

:Cueball: Perfect. Hmm, I should set the white balance.

:[White balance menu is shown with the following options:]
: - Incandescent
: - Fluorescent
: - Direct sunlight
: - Flash
: - Cloudy
: - Shade
: - Custom

:[Cueball pauses to think.]
:[Selects Direct sunlight.]

{{comic discussion}}

1828: ISS Solar Transit

2017-04-24T15:30:08Z

Kenbellows: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1828
| date = April 24, 2017
| title = ISS Solar Transit
| image = iss_solar_transit.png
| titletext = I guess it's also the right setting for pictures of the Moon at night.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[[Cueball]] is trying to take a photograph of the {{w|international space station}} moving in front of the sun ([https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/international-space-station-transits-the-sun example]).

A normal camera is not able to take a photograph of the sun due to the extreme brightness. This is why Cueball is using a {{w|Astronomical_filter|solar filter}}, which makes the sun look orange instead of yellow.

Digital cameras need to determine the color temperature of a photograph to correctly display colors. This is done using the {{w|Color_balance|white balance}} setting.

The joke here is that Cueball selects the "direct sunlight" option, which is normally used for objects directly illuminated by the sun and not for the sun itself.

The use of a solar filter also influences the color temperature, so "custom" would probably be the correct option. A camera using the "custom" option usually requires you to focus on a white or gray object to determine the correct setting.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball knees in front of a box with a telescope standing on it.]
:Off-screen voice: What's going on?
:Cueball: ISS solar transit. From this spot, the space station should briefly line up with the sun.
:I got a sun filter and I'm trying to take a picture of it crossing.
:[Picture of a very orange sun on a black background.]
:Cueball: Perfect. Hmm, I should set the white balance.
:[White balance menu]
: - Incandescent
: - Fluorescent
: - Direct sunlight
: - Flash
: - Cloudy
: - Shade
: - Custom
:[Selects Direct sunlight.]

{{comic discussion}}