Below is an announcement that I request be circulated as far as
possible through national sundial societies, educational
organizations, schools, etc. I hope you find it an exciting concept
and will want to participate, especialy if you are from a longitude
other than those of North America and Europe! But even from those
longitudes (and latitudes) with most of the worlds' active dialists,
we want to have a variety of dials from which to choose over the
various weeks.
I am in India until 23 August, with infrequent E-mail, and so will be
unable to respond to inquiries right away. The best thing to do
right now is to help publicize the whole concept, find a Webcam and a
good site, and then at the end of September check the Web sites
listed below for detailed instructions.
Woody Sullivan
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EARTHDIAL
An exciting concept called EarthDial is now being organized (as an
adjunct to the MarsDial on NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers, due to
land on the Red Planet in January 2004). Check either of the two Web
sites below in late September for all the details on how to
participate. The basic idea is for schools and individuals around
the world each to build a sundial and set up a Webcam that looks at
it. These Webcam images will then all be linked to a central Website
where one will be able to view, in almost real time, sundials from
around the world in all the different time zones! As one's eye
sweeps across the images on this Web page, the sun's shadow will be
seen to sweep across the faces of the dials. Website viewers will
gain a palpable sense of how the sun illuminates the globe of the
Earth.
Of course at any given time, half the dials will be in darkness.
Some will be in the Southern Hemisphere where the sun goes through
the northern sky daily, and the hour lines on sundials go in the
opposite sense (counterclockwise). The shapes of the lines on dials
in the tropics will contrast greatly with those in Scandinavia.
There will be a multitude of languages and cultural motifs on the
various dials.
On the central Website by 30 September we will post the plans so that
you can make your own EarthDial. There will be many things in common
for all the EarthDials, but also much opportunity to personalize your
own version. We will also specify from which angle the Webcam should
view the dial.
So if you'd like your local school or backyard or roof to participate
in EarthDial, do your preparatory work regarding the Webcam purchase,
etc., and check the Websites below in late September.
www. planetary.org - The Planetary Society
www.athena.cornell.edu - The Mars Rover team at Cornell University
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Prof. Woodruff T. Sullivan, III Center for Astrobiology &
Early Evolution
Dept. of Astronomy Box 351580
Univ. of Washington tel. 206-543-7773
Seattle, WA 98195 USA fax 206-685-0403
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