01
A shadow has a shape.
The piece that casts the shadow is called a gnomon. Its form and orientation work together with the markings on the dial.
Light · Shadow · Observation
A slower way
to tell time.
Before the ticking of a clock, there was a moving shadow. We collect small lessons from one of the oldest ways of watching a day unfold.
Follow the light ↘Study 01 / The travelling shadowIllustrative dial
A small experiment
Move through a day.
As the sun changes position, so does a shadow. Move the slider to explore an imagined day on our illustrative dial.
Morning · 08Noon · 12Afternoon · 16
Three things to notice
The day, made visible.
A sundial rewards attention to the world around it. These are a few good places to begin.
02
Noon is a local event.
Solar noon follows the sun at a particular place. It need not fall at twelve on the civil clock in your pocket.
03
The year leaves a trace.
The changing height of the sun alters a shadow across the seasons. A dial can reveal more than the passing of an hour.
About Sundial Studio
An independent notebook about old instruments, patient observation and the pleasure of noticing light.