Reconstruction of the
2003 West Stowell formation
1. Draw a circle. Draw and extend the horizontal and vertical centerlines.
2. Construct the inscribed 13-sided regular polygon of circle 1, pointing up. (Note, that this polygon can not be constructed by using ruler-and-compass construction methods. The co-ordinates of its angular points must be calculated).
3. Construct a 13-pointed star, by connecting all angular points of polygon 2, five apart.
4. Construct the inscribed circle of polygon 2.
5. Construct the inscribed 13-sided regular polygon of circle 4, pointing down.
6. Connect all angular points of polygon 5, two apart. Extend all these connection-lines, until they meet every third extended connection-line. A 13-pointed star is formed, as shown.
7. Construct a circle concentric to circle 1, passing through the angular points of star 6.
8. Draw all the rays from the center of circle 1 to the angular points of star 6.
9. Construct the inscribed circle of one of the kite-shaped parts of star 3, as shown (tangent to the diagonals of two adjacent angular points and tangent to the diagonals of the next two angular points, three apart).
10. Copy circle 9 13 times, to the intersections of rays 8 and circle 1.
11. Construct a small circle centered at the upper intersection of circle 4 and the vertical centerline, tangent to circle 1 at the near side.
12. Draw the connecting line between the left intersection of the lowest circle 10 with circle 1 and the center of circle 1. Extend this line up to circle 7, see figure.
13. Copy circle 11 to the (upper) intersection of line 12 and circle 7.
14. Construct a circle concentric to circle 1, passing through the third set of intersections of diagonals forming star 3, counted inwards from circle 1 inclusive.
15. Construct a small circle the centerline of which connects the lower intersections of circles 1 and 4 with the vertical centerline.
16. Copy circle 15 13 times, to the intersections of rays 8 and circle 14.
17. Construct the inscribed circle of the 13-sided regular polygon enclosed by star 3.
18. Taking as its center the upper intersection of the set of intersections of the diagonals forming star 3 closest to the center of circle 1, construct a small circle, tangent to circle 17 at the near side. See figure.
19. Copy circle 18 13 times, to the centers of circles 16.
20. Copy circle 18 another time, to the center of circle 13.
21. Construct a circle concentric to circle 1, tangent to circle 20 at the outer side.
22. Circles 1, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19 and 21, and star 3 form the ingredients for the reconstruction.
23. Remove from circles 7, 13 and 21 the parts not visible in the formation.
24. Colouring green the areas corresponding to standing...
25. ...or to flattened crop, finishes the reconstruction of the 2003 West Stowell formation.
26. The final result matches perfectly with the aerial image.
Copyright © 2003, Zef Damen, The Netherlands
 

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Mark Fussell & Stuart Dike

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