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Morton Analemmatic Sundial

This sundial was installed during the celebrations of the Millennium, and is of an unusual form, in that the observer uses their body as the Gnomon

An Analemmatic Sundial is one where the gnomon's position is varied through the year. The base is moved along a path like a flattened figure eight, to compensate for the apparent loop in the sky that would be seen if the absolute position of the sun's zenith were to be plotted up there.

In this sundial one follows the instructions to stand upon the inscribed base according to the month of the year, and the shadow of one's body falls upon one of the numbered hour-stones laid out in an elliptical arc around the base.

Mathematical descriptions include a fixed height for the Gnomon, but so long as the gnomon is longer (that is, taller) than the semi-major axis then its shadow will intersect the elliptical arc and be perfectly understandable.

The hour stones are, of course, placed according to UTC. No allowance is provided for summertime.

The whole thing is discretely placed in the wide grass verge of the High Street, with a small explanatory plaque on a nearby barn wall.
by Bob Harvey

Created: Sun, 29 May 2016, Updated: Mon, 30 May 2016


5 images use this description:

TF0923 : The sundial in the grass by Bob Harvey
TF0923 : The sundial in the grass by Bob Harvey
TF0923 : Hour stones by Bob Harvey
TF0923 : The Gnomon plate by Bob Harvey
TF0924 : Plaque for Morton Sundial by Bob Harvey


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