Interactive Sundial: Solar Time and Shadows
Compare apparent solar time, civil time and a moving shadow in an interactive sundial set at 45 degrees north, 90 degrees west.
Read the shadow alongside the clock
The digital sundial follows the Sun at a fixed location: 45 degrees north, 90 degrees west. Its dial, Sun reading and shadow belong to that place, rather than your device location. Compare apparent solar time with the civil clock beside it, then look at their displayed difference.
A sundial follows the position of the Sun. The civil clock divides the day into equal hours and may include summer time. This exhibit puts the equation of time and the clock adjustment alongside the shadow so that the difference has a visible setting.
A scene that includes night
Visit at another hour to compare the Sun and shadow readings. Darkness is part of the daily cycle; the scene does not need to restart when the Sun is below the horizon. The surrounding sky gives the dial a setting beyond its numbered face.
Use the scene to explore solar time at the stated location. It is not a local sundial calculator or a substitute for laying out a physical dial for a different latitude.