Analemmatic Sundial - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Posted by: 
The A-Team
N 48° 24.909 W 123° 23.044
10U E 471580 N 5362515
This analemmatic sundial, which uses the visitor as the gnomon to display the current time, is located on the walkway near the intersection of Dallas Road and Dock Street in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Waymark Code: WMN4HV
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 12/25/2014
Views: 8
This sundial was unveiled in a ceremony on July 28, 2009. It qualified as a BC 150 Legacy project, which celebrated British Columbia's 150th anniversary. The sundial was designed by Andrei Golovkine and Dr. Dmitry Monin. Due to its proximity to the city's cruise ship terminal and the popular Ogden Point Breakwater, it's estimated that over 500,000 people walk over the sundial each year!
The 18-foot wide sundial doesn't have a fixed gnomon, and instead invites visitors to stand at varying locations on a scale, dictated by the current date, to cast the necessary shadow on brass Roman numerals around the rim. Also written on the scale are adjustment factors that can be made at different times of the year, giving an even more accurate result.
At the time of the visit (approximately 12:50 pm Pacific Daylight Time), the sundial indicated the time as being a few minutes before 12:00 pm, which is very accurate when adjusted an hour for daylight saving time. Great care and painstaking measurements were taken to make sure the sundial was properly aligned and calibrated.
Scientific Principle(s) being demonstrated:
This analemmatic sundial demonstrates how the position and angle of the sun changes with both the time of day and time of the year.
Briefly explain if the experiment was effective for you. Could it have been better?:
The sundial seems very accurate. After adjusting an hour for daylight saving time, the time was within minutes of the actual time.
When is the apparatus/experiment available to the public:
Dawn to dusk, whenever the sun is shining
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