Palo Alto  

Sundial: 482
State/Province:  California Country:  USA
Dial Type:  Vertical Dial Condition:  Excellent
  Latitude and Longitude: 37° 25.669' N  122° 10.432' W
Location:
  • Stanford University
    South wall of Jen-Hsun Engineering Center
 
Description:
  • A vertical declining dial approximately 45 x 55 inches. Made of aluminum and brass. Shows the hours from 8 am to 5 pm using analemmas. Analemmas are bounded by the summer and winter solstices and a straight line through them shows the equinox. Daylight time is shown using Roman numerals, with standard time shown in Arabic. In keeping with the motto, a simple equation is written on the dial face, d/dt is not equal 0.

    Designer Ronald Bracewell used an oculus, a disk with a central hole, standing 8 cm in front of the dial face. The disk casts a shadow with a bright sunlight dot to indicate both time and season. Hour lines include longitude correction.

    This has been relocated; it was previously hanging free below a south facing wall, facing the Terman Engineering Building. Dial is now located on the wall of a covered walkway area.
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: Stanford University
  • "Caelum Srutando Leges Motus Didicimus" (We learnt the laws of motion by studying the heavens)
  • Designer: Prof. Ronald N. Bracewell
  • Builder: Mark C. Bracewell
  • Construction Date: 1995
 
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Last Revised: 6/15/2013 15:08