Dear Alison
One expedient, at least in theory, would be to fix a plane mirror,
suitably angled in plan to the main driveway and tilted to convert the
analemmatic sundial ellipse into a circle. The position of the human
gnomon would not vary with the season. The sundial would receive
reflected sunlight only on six months of the year, during the summer months,
but this is when most visitors would be around.
Unfortunately you would need either an enormous mirror or a very modest
analemmatic sundial.
John Lynes
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Behalf Of Alison Shields
Sent: 03 June 2008 18:57
To: [email protected]
Subject: Advice wanted, on 'Analemmatic' sundial orientation
Dear Sundial Experts,
I have recently joined this Mailing List, and hope that any members
will be able to give me some assistance on the following situation.
Our local Stately Home ("Kentwell Hall", Long Melford, Suffolk) is
considering installing an Analemmatic sundial, as a new interactive
attraction for visitors - but we are getting 'conflicting' advice,
on whether this 'Human Sundial' will work in the way we want it to.
We have been in discussion with "Modern Sunclocks" (apparently the
acknowledged 'experts' for these features), who have told us that
its central scale of dates must be aligned North/South - plus that
hour markers must be correctly positioned on an elliptical ring,
and which would lie on the Northern side of that scale of dates.
Photographs on their website ( www.sunclocks.com ) confirm this.
However, our 'Director of Operations' (Mr Phillips) absolutely
INSISTS that he wants the scale to run exactly parallel with our
main driveway - on a compass bearing which is about 162 degrees
from North, with the hour points placed on its Southern side.
He also wants the hour points to form an exact semi-circle, and
not be elliptical in shape. Mr Phillips refuses to accept that
he cannot arbitrarily position the Human Sundial feature as he
wishes, and says that it must be possible to create this so that
it could then align with the existing layout of buildings/paths.
Can anyone on this Mailing List tell me whether it is possible to
install a Human Sundial to fit any existing orientations, (with
appropriate re-calculation of its component parts) - or, if not,
just confirm that it must be as "Modern Sunclocks" have told me.
I can then show the 'weight of evidence' to Mr Phillips. Because
"Kentwell Hall" is a well-known Stately Home (open to the public),
we should not want to become a 'laughing stock' by installing a
feature which does not work - despite Mr Phillips assurance that
"all types of sundial can be adjusted to work, in any location".
Looking forward to all comments (to this List, or sent privately).
Sincerely,
Alison Shields.
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