woodlandpolarsundial.com
Sundial Calculations
The precise construction oif the Woodland Polar Dial is made possible by comprehension of the mechanics of the annual earth orbit around the sun, trigonometry, and an accurate clock. The picture above shows the shadow cast at 1:59:50 PM PST, 12/1/2023. How can the exact position of the shadow tip be calculated, so the dial could be constructed ? The position of the shadow of the gnomon's tip is dependent on the time of day, the declination of the sun (a measure of the axial tilt of the earth relative to the celestial equator), the sun's elevation angle relative to the horizon, and the angle of the sun in the sky relative to the meridian (the azimuth angle).
