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The arrival of the last day of the Gregorian year on Earth inspired me to review some of the Wikipedia collection on calendars and the history of changes to make them more accurate compared to astronomical observations.

SearchTerm:ProposedMarsCalendar

Assuming that the convention of 7 days (sols) for a work week makes sense to those who settle on Mars ...

And assuming the convention of a Terran Lunar cycle (of 28 days (sols)) will continue to have biological significance ...

Begin Quotation from Google lookup per reminder from RobertDyck:
Mars' Calendar | The Planetary Society
www.planetary.org › Explore › Space Topics › Mars
Sols, or Martian solar days, are only 39 minutes and 35 seconds longer than Earth days, and there are 668 sols (687 Earth days) in a Martian year. For convenience, sols are divided into a 24-hour clock.
End Quotation.

And using the Martian year of 668 sols (plus change) as a basis, here is a suggestion for a set of 24 months, each of which needs a name:
(Corrected from Earth Days per RobertDyke)

Begin Quotation from Calc:
668/24 >> 27.833 (ie, 648 plus difference of 20)
End

A Martian year has 668 sols           
           
668 / 24 >> 27 and 20/24           
           
1    A    28    Winter     Name:      Candidates: Aquarius, Aries, Asimov
2    B    28                   Name:    Candidates: Bradbury and Burroughs; Barsoom (created by Burroughs)
3    C    28                  Name:      Candidates: Cancer, Capricorn
4    D    28                   Name:
5    E    28                   Name:
6    F    27    Quarter   Name:
7    G    28    Spring      Name:      Candidate: Gemini
8    H    28                   Name:
9    I    28                    Name:
10    J    28                   Name:
11    K    28                   Name:
12    L    27    Quarter   Name: Candidates: Lowell, Leo, Libra
13    M    28    Fall         Name:
14    N    28                   Name:
15    O    28                   Name:
16    P    28                   Name: Candidate: Pisces
17    R    28                   Name:
18    S    27    Quarter   Name: Candidates: Sagittarius, Scorpio
19    T    28    Winter      Name: Candidate: Taurus
20    U    28                   Name:
21    V    28                   Name: Candidate: Virgo
22    W    28                   Name: Candidates: Wisdom, Wallaby
23    Y    28                   Name: Candidate: Yak
24    Z    27    Quarter   Name: Candidate: Zubrin
           
        668    sols 

Note that to allow for Z to display in a set of 24 months, I removed Q and X as least likely to be chosen as month names.

In the Gregorian calendar, first letters repeat, so that could certainly happen in the case of a Mars calendar.

Edit of 2019/01/07
Revised 2019/01/07 to show 28 day months with 27 day quarter endings

Legend:    Mo is the Martian month
        ## is the number of days in the month
        M12 is the Terran convention of 12 months per year
        Sols is the cumulative count of days per Martian year
        Qtry is the cumulative count of days per Martian quarter

Mo   ##        M12   Sols   Qtr
1    28   Sols   1    28    28
2    28   Sols   1    56    56
3    28   Sols   2    84    84
4    28   Sols   2    112   112
5    28   Sols   3    140   140
6    27   Sols   3    167   167   End   of   Quarter   subtract   one   day
7    28   Sols   4    195   28
8    28   Sols   4    223   56
9    28   Sols   5    251   84
10   28   Sols   5    279   112
11   28   Sols   6    307   140
12   27   Sols   6    334   167   End   of   Quarter   subtract   one   day
13   28   Sols   7    362   28
14   28   Sols   7    390   56
15   28   Sols   8    418   84
16   28   Sols   8    446   112
17   28   Sols   9    474   140
18   27   Sols   9    501   167   End   of   Quarter   subtract   one   day
19   28   Sols   10   529   28
20   28   Sols   10   557   56
21   28   Sols   11   585   84
22   28   Sols   11   613   112
23   28   Sols   12   641   140
24   27   Sols   12   668   167   End   of   Quarter   End of Year
    668   Sols   668  Sols   

(th)

However Martians decide to mark the New Year, it seems likely to me they will have built up a store of energy to release, after a long, plodding trip around the Sun!

For everyone who notes the Terran New Year custom, best wishes for the Day, and for the year ahead.

Update 2022/04/13 - The Business Calendar for Mars is defined by a uniform month of 28 days.

Standard Month in Mars Business Calendar
Su    Mo    Tu    We    Th    Fr    Sa
1        2      3       4      5      6      7
8        9    10     11    12    13    14
15    16    17     18    19    20    21
22    23    24     25    26    27    28

SearchTerm:Month standard for Mars Business Calendar
SearchTerm:Standard month for Mars Business Calendar
SearchTerm:Month generic for Mars Business Calendar
SearchTerm:Generic month layout for Mars Business Calendar

Update 2023/03/19 ... The relationship between Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Alexender the Great became muddled in my mind.

I asked Google to correct errors in my memory, and it came back with details I will summarize here ...

Socrates was a philospher in Greece (Athens) who spoke effectively to many citizens of the time, but he (apparently) wrote nothing

Plato was a student/associate of Socrates.  Everything we know (or think we know) about Socrates came from Plato

Aristitole was a student of Plato, and Aristotle wrote books ... the number may be as many as 10

Alexender the Great was the son of Phillip II of Macedon.  Phillip hired Aristotle to tutor Alexander and apparently other royal pages of the time.

(th)

Trying City Rises topic for this:

Apparently there is a law somewhere in the US collection of laws which supports/encourages settlement of Mars.

http://thespaceshow.com/show/21-dec-201 … montgomery

Begin Quotation:
Another interesting issue for 2018 focused on planetary protection and some new policy suggestions by the new NASA Planetary Protection Officer.  Our guest had much to say about legal issues of planetary protection and the commercial space players/businesses.  Listen to her comments about it not being law or mandatory rules for the private sector and about the FAA and enforcement, even enforcement through launch licenses.  Laura reminded us that it is law for our government to support space settlement including settlement on Mars.  This is pro-settlement space law is already in place.  She reminded us several times that there was no planetary protection law, especially regarding private actors.  Don't miss this important discussion.
End Quotation.

Louis,

I have updated the Attributes post for Sagan City to show it is the 2018 version.

This is an attempt to free Sagan City 2018 from being a burden upon your creativity.

In just a few days, as humans count time, you will be free to "create" another version of Sagan City, somewhere else on Mars as your mood strikes you.

To see the Attributes post, use search with :SearchTerm and :SaganCity with Author tahanson43206

(th)

begin Quotation:
Sagan City on Mars (2018 version)
Attributes compiled from posts by Louis

Location: 34.58 degrees West and 21 degrees North
End Quotation.

Louis,

I have two new items for your consideration, as you plan your book on Sagan City.

First, from National Geographic for February 2018, from an interview of Michael Bloomberg (former mayor of New York)

Begin Quotation:
SG: (question about gentrification)?
MB: I've always thought that culture attracts capital more than capital attracts culture.
End Quotation.

The thought I would invite you to pursue is to concentrate on defining the culture you want to see, and let details about hardware and supplies of various kinds to others better suited for those tasks.  You appear to have given up on inspiring others to build a real city on Mars, but you appear to have the flexibility of thought that would enable you flex in that direction.

You have already started defining the culture, of course, but your production to date appears to be more of an outline than detailed specifications.

Second, from a the same issue, from an article on CCTV surveiliance by Robert Draper:

Begin Quotation:
London authorities were early adopters of widespread closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveiliance ...
End Quotation.

The article discusses video surveiliance in cities around the world, and considers the differences between authoritarian states and ones which aspire to democracy or at least a semblance of democracy.

It seems to me that as a designer of a new high technology city, it would make sense to build in a high level of surveiliance from the outset, since it will most certainly arrive with commercial interests.

(th)

Hi Louis,

My objective is to try to find conditions which will increase the probability of Sagan City coming into existence.

Your proposal that there should be TWO Sagan City initiatives would (in my opinion) reduce the probability instead of increase it.

At the moment, there exists only one initiative, and that is yours. 

Your uncertainty about location is an example of increase of uncertainty for the future of Sagan City.  You made a decision for a precise location, and at that moment the probability of a bright future for Sagan City was as great as it has been, because it now appears what I understood to be a decision about the boundaries of the city turns out to have been a misreading of your intent.  I was hoping you would make a firm decision, so I read into your words something that was not there.

***

Regarding UN membership versus a concept of planetary independence ... I think that securing UN membership for the planet, in the form of a "nation", would increase chances of an amicable relationship with the residents of Earth, and the idea of setting up an independent entity from the outset will just about guarantee a war.  The examples of Canada and the United States seem instructive (to me at least). 

Both were created or established as extensions of the British empire of the time.  One chose independence and got two wars.  One chose to evolve with the British empire as inevitable change occurred, and it now functions as an independent nation without having had to endure a war.

The model I see from this is that an amicable relationship built from the start will have a greater chance of evolving into a friendly independence over time.

(th)

For Void:

I thought of you and your water pipes under the surface of Mars, when I heard this story today:
https://www.npr.org/2018/05/05/60862256 … rnia-waves

It is not out of the question for an entertainment venue similar to this to exist on Mars, assuming a water rich solar object comes by within collection range.  The waves created by the machinery in the lesser gravity of Mars would (presumably) attract surfers from around the Solar System.

(th)

Hi Louis,

I am pulling this small section of your longer post which begins with discussion of the Viking I site.

Would you agree that you DID come up with the name of the proposed city?
Would you agree that you published the name on the NewMars forum?
Would you agree that you agreed to specify a location of the proposed city on the surface of Mars?
Would you agree that you agreed to specify dimensions (boundaries) for Sagan City?

I accept that you have stated repeatedly that you do not want to serve as "leader" or "mayor" of Sagan City, and now I am wondering if you do not wish to be recognized as "founder"  of Sagan City.  Your description of the city as fictional signals (to me at least) that you do not believe the city can come into being in actuality, and that it will remain forever a science fiction fantasy shared with readers of the NewMars forum, soon to fade into the oblivion from which SpaceNut occasionally rescues topics he considers worthy of another look.

(th)

Louis,

I have updated Post #21 to show the area and boundaries you have defined.

Please note that for simplicity of reference for future inquiries, I have selected the Viking I landing site as the center of the circle.

Please advise if this is not acceptable.

My objective is to remove ambiguity from decisions made to bring Sagan City into existence.

***
I'd like to move on to another focus .... now that you have chosen a site and a set of boundaries for the city, will you agree to allow others to develop concepts on the surface of Mars without interference from you?

You have reserved Pi * 100 Kilometers square kilometers for your proposed city.  That is an area large enough to hold millions of people in time.

If you accept my suggestion, you will accept that others can develop other areas on Mars without interference from you.

It is to be expected that the economic needs of the people of Sagan City will inspire others outside the City to supply those needs.

Examples are power, air and other gas supply, agricultural products, industrial support and transportation services.

I am picking up from your vision the impression that Sagan City itself would become a cultural center with living facilities attractive to visitors from elsewhere n Mars and from elsewhere in the Solar System.

If you agree to this proposal, you will free up opportunities for others to concentrate on the delivery of products and services needed by residents of the City itself.

Reminder: to reach Post #21 above, you can search for SearchTerm: and :SaganCityAttributesOf with Author tahanson43206

(th)

Hi Louis,

Thanks for taking up the boundaries issue, along with several other topics active in this series.

I am happy to see the discussion of how to deal with religion continuing.  In my opinion there is a way to go before the vision for Sagan City is satisfying or at least acceptable to the majority of potential residents. 

However, I would like to keep focus on boundaries for the city, because I have not yet succeeded in persuading you of the importance of defining them.

Closely related to the issue of boundaries is the larger issue of Rule of Law and its cousin, Property Rights, and the related issue of Free Enterprise.

It is entirely possible you have already assured your audience of your support of these fundamental concepts, and that I have just overlooked it.

Boundaries for Sagan City are essential for establishing at the outset that Property Rights are recognized by the Founder. 

At this point, it seems to me that you are (accidentally of course) encouraging a free-for-all in which the rich and powerful take everything they want when they want it.

No doubt I am misinterpreting your intention.

(th)

Hi Louis,

Thanks for both those links ... the first did not come up (timed out) but the second did, and I pulled down the pdf policy document.

That is too much to read right now, but I'm interested in taking a closer look in the new future.

In the mean time, I note that you have been setting down elements that might become part of "Louis's Planetary Protection Policy"

The prohibition against religion is interesting but (to my mind impractical) my guess is that human beings invent or adopt religion as a basic need.

My interpretation is that religions are software for neural networks.  They've evolved with human brains, and (I suspect) will continue to evolve as human beings gain better understanding of the Universe.  An attempt to ban religion is (to my way of thinking) equivalent to banning human beings.

Your vision may include concepts that are designed to limit conflict between individuals or groups, but I've not yet had time to study your recent flow of articles in order to know.

In the mean time, I'd like to remind you that what exists today at the United Nations is subject to change, and you are in a position (as a UK citizen) to attempt to bring about beneficial change through your official representative to the UN.

With so much going on right now in the UK, the good lady might appreciate a change of pace ... something else to think about.

(th)