What do you need to know about garden sundials?
Although garden sundials are a functional time telling piece, many people simply enjoy them as an artistic addition to their garden, along the side of a walkway or as an accent in an outdoor living space. Sundials are typically made out of wood, metal or other materials and often feature intricate designs on their surface.
What do the markings on a sundial mean?
More than just a decorative addition to the garden, sundials are the oldest known instruments for telling time. The markings found on the flat surface of a sundial represent each hour of daylight. As the sun moves across the sky from east to west, the gnomon or vertical rod at the center of the dial casts a shadow across this flat surface.
Where is the best place to place a sundial?
In order to tell time as accurately as possible, a horizontal sundial should be placed on a completely flat surface or on a sundial pedestal with the gnomon facing celestial north (90°N).
Are there any cast iron sundials that last?
Cast Iron Sundials- Built to stand the test of time and age gracefully through all types of weather, cast iron sundials are an elegant and long lasting addition to a backyard garden or patio. With the world moving quickly around us, sundials offer more than just a way to tell time.
Although garden sundials are a functional time telling piece, many people simply enjoy them as an artistic addition to their garden, along the side of a walkway or as an accent in an outdoor living space. Sundials are typically made out of wood, metal or other materials and often feature intricate designs on their surface.
How does the shadow on a sundial work?
As the sun moves across the sky from east to west, the gnomon or vertical rod at the center of the dial casts a shadow across this flat surface. The position of the shadow on the hour markings is an indicator of the current time of day.
In order to tell time as accurately as possible, a horizontal sundial should be placed on a completely flat surface or on a sundial pedestal with the gnomon facing celestial north (90°N).
How does a sundial tell the time of day?
The position of the shadow on the hour markings is an indicator of the current time of day. In order to tell time as accurately as possible, a horizontal sundial should be placed on a completely flat surface or on a sundial pedestal with the gnomon facing celestial north (90°N).
