Old Palace Yard Golden Jubilee Sundial - London, England, UK
Posted by: 
cldisme
N 51° 29.924 W 000° 07.571
30U E 699466 N 5709204
A human "powered" sundial across the street from the Parliament Building.
Waymark Code: WMD3KT
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/14/2011
Views: 35
The restoration of Old Palace Yard was completed in October 2002 with the installation of the analemmatic sundial to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
Visitors are asked to stand facing north and step to the line in the center closest to that day's date which is defined by the analemma
To complete the visitor's educational experience beyond just the scientific realm, they are also graced with a quote from William Shakespeare's King Henry the Sixth, Part III for a cultural experience:
"To carve out dials, quaintly, point by point, Thereby to see the minutes, how they run-- How many makes the hour full complete, How many hours brings about the day, How many days will finish up the year, How many years a mortal man may live."
Scientific Principle(s) being demonstrated:
1) Simple function of a sundial.
2) The calculated variation of the sun angle throughout the calendar year in the form of an analemma.
Briefly explain if the experiment was effective for you. Could it have been better?:
Not 100% effective. In order for an analemma to be understood, its "figure 8" configuration would be better than a simple straight line.
When is the apparatus/experiment available to the public:
24-hour availability, but effective only during daylight hours - preferably with a bright sun.
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