☼ The Sundial ☼

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Today's Light Equation of Time Shadow Play History About

☼ About This Sundial ☼

This digital sundial is a meditation on the relationship between shadow and time, between the sun's actual position and our abstract clock time.

Why Sundials Matter

Before mechanical clocks, time was local and visible. Noon was when the sun reached its highest point—different for every longitude. Time was something you could see in the length of a shadow.

The sundial reminds us that time is astronomical: Earth turning, orbiting, tilting. Our clocks are abstractions; the sundial shows the reality beneath.

The Mottos

Sundials traditionally bear mottos, often in Latin. Some favorites:

Horas non numero nisi serenas
"I count only the sunny hours"

Tempus fugit
"Time flies"

Carpe diem
"Seize the day"

Sol lucet omnibus
"The sun shines on everyone"

Sic transit gloria mundi
"Thus passes the glory of the world"

Umbra sumus
"We are shadows"

Reading a Sundial

To read a sundial accurately:

  1. Check that it's level and properly oriented (gnomon pointing to celestial pole)
  2. Note where the shadow falls on the hour lines
  3. Apply the Equation of Time correction for today's date
  4. Adjust for your longitude within the time zone
  5. Add an hour if Daylight Saving Time is in effect

Or simply enjoy it as a connection to something older than clocks.

Crafting a Sundial

To make a simple horizontal sundial:

  1. Find your latitude
  2. Cut a triangular gnomon where one angle equals your latitude
  3. Print or draw hour lines (calculators available online)
  4. Align the gnomon to true north
  5. Level the dial plate

Your sundial will tell time as long as the sun shines.