Hi Chris,

I have not given up on a polar orientation surface yet, but I don't think it 
will work
because it needs a line to cast a shadow and I have not been able to picture 
the correct
effect of a line shadow on a polar plane.  A "planispheric projection" might 
give the
location of where the sun is setting.  I will work on it.

I do feel for sure that a horizontal line - directed to where we want to know 
if the sun
is shining - can tell us something - but other places on the map are not 
correct - only to
where the line is directed.

Thanks   - Warren

Chris Lusby-Taylor wrote:

> In reply to Warren Thom's query:
>
> >on a dial map WHERE the sun is setting by a shadow.  I like the opening 
> >screen of
> >the NASS home page that shows the area of daylight on the planet  -- but 
> >that is
> >the computer screen -- I like "real" maps.   Has this been done on a dial? 
> >Fred
> >Sawyer showed in the Compendium the method Foster used to map TIME around the
> >world.    Any ideas on this from anyone?
> >
>
> John Carmichael asks:
> >would this work?  A polar dial with a world map on the face with moveable
> >gnomon mounted to a set of hourlines(maybe etched on clear glass)  that can
> >be shifted according to the date?
>
> >This is rather hard to expain, but we can discuss it in Hartford.
>
> No, I don't think it would work, except at the equinoxes, as the edge of the
> polar dial's shadow would not take declination into account, so would show
> sunrise at 6 o'clock regardless of season.
>
> An elegant and obviously correct solution is a standard terrestrial globe.
> It must, of course, be set up with its location on top and in the correct 
> orientation.
>
> Off hand, I cannot think of any solution with a plane map. If one exists, I 
> imagine
> the map might use the planispheric projection of the astrolabe.
>
> Chris Lusby Taylor
> Newbury
> Berks.
> England.

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