How to Use a Sundial to Tell the Time of Day

Watches have not always been available to tell time. Over the centuries other methods have been used to tell time such as the position of the sun in the sky. A sundial shows the time through a shadow cast by an object on the scale of the dial. You need to take into account your geographical location when reading a sundial to obtain an accurate reading.

Compass

Instructions

- 1
  Place the sundial on a horizontal surface.
- 2
  Find true north with your compass. A compass points to magnetic north so you should account for the local variation. For example magnetic deviation in Greenwich, London, is 3 degrees 58 west.
- 3
  Orientate the sundial so that the gnomon and 12 noon section of the dial are pointing north.
- 4
  Check the time using your sundial. The morning time will appear on the dial face to the left side of the meridian. The afternoon time will appear on the right side of the meridian.
- 5
  Account for the "Equation of Time" (difference between solar time and standard time). Navigate to website providing the "Equation of Time" table. Check the "Equation of Time" table to get the difference to be added or subtracted. Add or subtract the number to your sundial reading to get the true time.

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