Thank you Dennis,
The English translation of the solution of the “énigme” provided in the
magazine is “You may have thought of a Mass dial but it is not one… A Mass dial
is typically made up (photo below) of a semi-circle (sometimes a complete
circle) divided into regular sectors and with a gnomon perpendicular to the
wall, fixed in the center of the circle. It does not give solar time but
indicates the start of liturgical acts. What appears in the photo taken in
Scotland is not a Mass dial but a leveling mark, often installed on the walls
of public buildings so that surveyors have fixed benchmarks (position and
height) in their measurements. Such a leveling mark can take very different
forms: small metal cylinder sealed in the wall, decorative plaque, etc.”
I hope this clarifies the confusion created, for those readers who are not
fluent in French, by the fact that the photo of a Mass dial goes with the
solution. 😉
Best regards
Roger
De : dennis.cowan
Date : dimanche, 26 novembre 2023 à 10:48
À : [email protected] , Sundial List
Objet : RE: Winter issue of the “Cadrans solaires pour tous” magazine
Dear Roger
With reference to une enigme on page 34, this is an OS benchmark.
OS benchmarks are survey marks that were used by the Ordnance Survey to make
maps. They can be found on walls and buildings across Britain and were a way of
recording height at a given point.
Google "OS benchmark" for more information.
Regards
Dennis Cowan
Sent from my Mobile
Original message
From: [email protected]
Date: 23/11/2023 06:48 (GMT+00:00)
To: Sundial List
Subject: Winter issue of the “Cadrans solaires pour tous” magazine
Dear colleagues,
I am very glad to inform you that the Winter issue of the “Cadrans solaires
pour tous” magazine is now available for free download from
https://www.cadrans-solaires.info/le-magazine/
Best regards
Roger Torrenti
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