Torreon  

Sundial: 487
State/Province:  Coahuila Country:  Mexico
Dial Type:  Vertical Dial Condition:  Good
  Latitude and Longitude: 25° 31.300' N  103° 27.917' W
Location:
  • Central garden at the intersection of Central avenue and Jazmines Street in a residential district named Torreon Jardin
 
Description:
  • This is a stone cube 3.5 m high with four vertical dials. Each dial face is about 2.2 m high by 1.25 m wide The South and North faces have Arabic numerals to indicate solar time from 6am to 18hrs, with marks every 15 minutes. The East face has numerals from 6am to 12pm and the West face complements from 12pm to 18hrs. These faces have half hour marks. The South face has seven declination lines, constellation dates, analemma line, zodiac symbols, and equinoctial and solstice lines. A curve to indicate light and shadow hours all the year is on each face. A square base on quarry. At the north-east corner are the carved names of the designer Miguel Bertran de Quintana and builder Cirilo Nunez.

    Note: because of the sundial size and latitude, it was necessary to extend the four vertical faces of the sundial into the horizontal plane to indicate the summer solstice line and 11:30 and noon hours of summer.
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: Torreon Jardin, a residential district
  • Additional notes: this sundial has been repaired at least twice - in 1991 and in 1998. Both times the quarry stone was cleaned and repaired. In 1991 the gnomons were installed perpendicular to each face, but corrected in 1998 when they were installed according to latitude. The gnomons are made of iron.
  • Designer: Miguel Bertran de Quintana
  • Builder: Cirilo Nunez
  • Construction Date: 1946