SUNDIAL SECTIONS:

Sundials Home

History of Sundials

Why the Sun Dial keeps time

Developing and Making Sundials

Sundial Materials

Sundial Hour Lines Lay out

Sundial "Furniture"

Declination Lines of Sundials

Portable Sundials

Interesting Sundials of the World

SUNDIAL MATERIALS - Page 7

If some means of checking your watch is desired other than by calling the telephone company, you would be certain to enjoy most of all that extremely accurate instrument, the heliochronometer. The following notes on the various sundials are intended only as a guide, to help determine the kind of sundial best suited to your particular needs. For convenience each sundial is treated separately and reference is made to the corresponding construction diagram in Section VII.

THE EQUATORIAL sundial (Figure I) The equatorial sundial derives its name from the position of the sundial Figure, which lies parallel to the plane of the earth's equator. It has a perpendicular gnomon pointing to the celestial pole. It may be moved from place to place without re-figuring, because the construction of the hour lines is not dependent upon the latitude of the place where it is used. Because the sun moves in a path north of the equator during the summer months and south of the equator during the winter months, the sundial should be in the form of a thin Figure, with hour lines inscribed on both the upper and under surfaces in order for it to show the time throughout the year.

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