tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4193169306787079445.post2049809647447808010..comments2023-06-03T08:07:36.208-04:00Comments on WAK'd: Solar calendarWAKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04866373490827292416noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4193169306787079445.post-50209168609325293212014-10-03T10:21:38.659-04:002014-10-03T10:21:38.659-04:00I would say that the length of the gnomon more det...I would say that the length of the gnomon more determines the size of the sundial because it determines the length of the shadow cast. The gnomon is meant to be parallel to the spin axis of the earth or, equivalently, equal to the latitude of the sundial. This is, of course, just an approximation because it is only perpendicular to the sun's rays when the sun is over the equator, i.e. at the equinoxes.<br /><br />For my solar calendar, the length of the brass rod, simply determines the period of time each day during which the calendar may be read. For mine that is about twenty minutes either side of local solar noon.<br /><br />I claim no rights of invention since I am quite confident that any agricultural society living outside of the tropics had an analogous device that they used to determine when to sow crops. <br /><br />While it lacks to portability of a smartphone app there is no long term contract.WAKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04866373490827292416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4193169306787079445.post-29098513406236828082014-10-03T05:40:36.554-04:002014-10-03T05:40:36.554-04:00It's an intriguing idea. I'm wondering if ...It's an intriguing idea. I'm wondering if the pointy thing sticking up on the sun dial, the gnomon, is so long to compensate for the tilting of the earth, which produces the seasons. I probably should have looked it up before I wrote. One would think that if if were possible to make a sun calendar, there would be a lot of them, because it seems like a useful thing. Maybe it takes a bunch of big rocks, like Stonehenge. Again, I should probably have looked it up before I wrote.Geo-Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09228768953715204493noreply@blogger.com