Why does the Gnomon on a Sundial Point South?
The pointy bit of a sundial is called a ‘gnomon’. It is the part that casts the shadow and in the northern hemisphere it points…
Tag: shadow stick
Sand Patterns, Shadows and Camel Balm
I recently got back from a brief work trip to the United Arab Emirates. Whilst there I visited Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah and spent…
A Shadow Stick in the Bahamas
This just in from Dick Forte in the Bahamas… Tristan, Here is a Gooley-inspired sun dial in the southern Bahamas, just inside the tropics, 74…
Moon Shadows
Last night I divided my time between two very different arenas of the modern human experience. I watched dross on TV, including some Jonathan Dross…
A Sun and Compass Quiz
Only one of these compasses can be correct, since I took the photo in my garden in the south of England in April, not at…
I Caught a Glimpse of Orion Last Night…
…and he was high in the sky, which reminded me of one of the simplest and most beautiful of natural navigational celestial techniques. Orion is…
Equinox Shadows
An engaging group for the Beginner’s Guide to Natural Navigation course at the Royal Geographical Society yesterday. Diverse in age and interests as always. When…
The Sun’s Shadow in Winter and Summer
The last course stirred up some healthy discussion about the difference between the sun’s summer and winter arcs in the sky. The arcs are actually…