 A sundial is an ancient invention that tells time using the sun’s position.  The gnomon is used to show the sun’s shadow.

The sundial dates back as far as Egyptian and Babylonian times, around 1500 BC. The Ancients Greeks then made sundials their own. They are the ones that developed the science of sundial. The Romans then adopted the Greeks’ sundials. The first known Roman sundial is from 293 BC.

 By using the shadow of the sun, you can tell the time of day.  When it’s midday the shadows is short.  When it’s afternoon, the sun casts a longer shadow.  FUN FACTS!!!!  The shadow in winter is longer than the shadows in summer. This is because the sun is lower in the sky in winter.

 Horizontal dials  Vertical dials  Equatorial dials  Polar dials  Reflected ceiling dials  Portable dials  Analemmatic dials  The sundial that is most know is the horizontal dial. It’s design is made on a pedestal. The horizontal dial is one that is commonly seen today