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The Sundial

© Regenia G. Butcher

Time in the Shadow

Shadows are everywhere. Those darkened areas that attach themselves to everything with dimension and morph into a variation of the shape are an everlasting marriage between the Earth and the Sun. So, it was only natural that humans found ways of utilizing them.

For years, people have been amusing themselves and others by making hand shadows on walls in a rooms lit only by flashlights. Artists use shadowing techniques to add depth to their sketches and paintings. Writers use shadows to heighten suspense concerning what might be lurking in them. And businessmen worldwide often try to shave in the early afternoon in order to eliminate their "5 o'clock shadow".

Speaking of time and shadows, there is an object that has been constructed to utilize shadow in order to tell time - the sundial. Greek historian, Herodotus, wrote that sundials were first created by the Chaldeans and Sumerians in Babylon (Iraq). Since then, there have been numerous styles created as sundials progressively led the way to powered clocks.

Sundials, however, are not a hundred percent accurate because no matter how precisely they're constructed and calibrated, the Earth doesn't fully cooperate by moving in a perfected circle around the Sun, nor does it always adhere to the same traveling speed.

The Sundial Primer offers instruction for those who would like their sundial to be as close to accurate possible, as much of the time as possible. It basically requires taking into consideration the latitude and longitude in which the sundial will be located, and determining the thickness and angle of the center piece (the gnomon).

A sundial can be as simple as a stake in the ground with a surrounding area cleared and marked with hourly intervals. Or it can be a complex, precisely calibrated (half bowl) hemicyclium. Or...it can be anything in between. You can decide exactly how you want your sundial to be. The rest is up to the minute-by-minute agreement between the Sun and any nearby clouds or "overcast". Wishing you many sunny days!

CRAFT IDEA

TABLE TOP SUNDIAL

MATERIALS

3 Cardboard circles (for the face of the dial)
1 - 3 smaller pieces of Cardboard (for the gnomon)
Craft Glue
Sponge Craft Brush
Sheet of Felt (for base of sundial)
Base Paint
Acrylic Paint
Decoupage and Paint Brush
Embellishments (Optional)
Ruler and Pen/Pencil (to evenly mark hours)
Scissors


INSTRUCTIONS

Draw an identical circle onto three pieces of cardboard.
Cut out each piece.
Dab glue over the top surface of the first circle.