Fellow shadow watchers, Following on from Tom Semadeni and Mike Shaw's contribution on Sir Patrick Moore I can bring things firmly back on topic by mentioning the bespoke equatorial sundial with an inscribed base and a fitted octagonal casket in American black walnut commissioned for him by the Royal Astronomical Society in October 2000 just before he was knighted.
The citation, beautifully inscribed on vellum, read: ********************************************** "The Royal Astronomical Society presents this Millennium Award of a Universal Equatorial Dial to Patrick Alfred Caldwell Moore in recognition of his outstanding achievement over half a century in enthusiastic public presentation of the science of astronomy, through his internationally celebrated Sky at Night Series on BBC Television, his prolific astronomical writing, and for the inspiration he has given to young people, which has encouraged generations of keen astronomers many of whom have gone on to make distinguished contributions of their own." Nigel Weiss President ********************************************** You can see the presentation on my WebPage at http://www.lindisun.demon.co.uk Close-up jpegs of the dial/casket on request. Fitting tiny hinges to a split octogonal 'tube' was an interesting challenge as there were no parallel faces to hold it by. Oh dear! I've gone and revealed my guilty secret! I'm actually a woodworker/cabinetmaker by first adoption. Metal came later for me. Tony Moss
