Placement of Sundials

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A point worth noting is that if your sundial faces the wrong way its only use will be to look good. Therefore be sure it looks good to begin with... unless you want to be mocked with a carefully planned utilitarian design that is completely useless!
In the Northern hemisphere, sundials must face south. The opposite is true for Southern hemisphere sundials. This is due to the fact that the sun is highest at noon; the sun will be either due south or due north at local noon, depending on which hemisphere you inhabit. The shadow cast by the gnomon traces its path across the hour marks as the sun moves across the sky. If the dial is pointed the wrong way, you’ve got an expensive decoration instead of a useful timepiece.

Next Page: Accuracy of a Sundial

Related Sundials Articles

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• Marking Time with Sundials
• Types of Sundials
• Purpose of Sundials
• Sundial Prices
• Pieces of Art
• Placement of Sundials
• Accuracy of a Sundial
• Sundial Logistics
• Conclusion
• Sundial Terms