>>A bit off the refraction topic but Chuck O'Connell expressed interest in
>>dials that use polarisation.  There was an interesting article recently in
>>one of the BSS Bulletins about using Sellotape as a polarising medium to
>>make a dial that would indicate hours even when it's cloudy - it uses the
>>fact that the background light from the sky is polarised.
>
> The article was in the BSS Bulletin 98.1 February 98 pages 3-9.    The
>'dial'
> is based on Charles Wheatstone's use last century of the polarisation of
> skylight to determine the azimuth of the sun.
>
>  Les Cowley


There also was an article in Sky & Telescope magazine a while back which
showed a sundial using polarized light from the sky.  I can't lay my hands
on the issue, but I believe it was about 18 months ago.

Mac Oglesby

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