Washington  

Sundial: 491
State/Province:  District of Columbia Country:  USA
Dial Type:  Gnomonic or Projection Dial Condition:  Good
  Latitude and Longitude: 38° 49.448' N  77° 1.424' W
Location:
  • Inside Building 207 at the Naval Research Laboratory. Requires an escort from the visitor center.
 
Description:
  • With a bit of whimsy at the end of each day for over two years, Dr. James Griffith marked the position of a ray of sunlight on a wall that entered from a west window overlooking the Potomac river. The result is an analemma, tracing the sun's position at 4:10 pm E.S.T. throughout the seasons. Dr. Griffith was a chemist, but as written on a plaque next to the analemma, "Exactly what this has to do with chemistry per se is not perfectly clear, but Viva Principia Scientifica!"
 
General Information:
  • Owner: Naval Research Laboratory
  • Designer: Dr. James Griffith
  • Builder:
 
References:
  • Dial was on Walt Sanford's website. No longer available.
Last Revised: 2021-12-08 15:44