2012 Transit of Venus

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Published: 08 June 2012

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NASA has taken outstanding video of the June 6th 2012 transit of Venus.  Images were recorded by the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory Satellite that records the sun's surface and corona at a number of visible light and ultraviolet wavelengths. [See sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov]   These images showing the 2012 transit of Venus were recorded at a wavelength of 171 Angstroms (AIA 171) (Extreme Ultraviolet).  This channel is especially good at showing coronal loops - the arcs extending off of the Sun where plasma moves along magnetic field lines. The brightest spots seen here are locations where the magnetic field near the surface is exceptionally strong.  

NASA video source and images may be found at http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010900/a010996/index.html

Eclipse Sundial For May 20th, 2012

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Published: 19 May 2012

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Don’t miss the Solar Eclipse this Sunday, May 20^th.  Times of the eclipse can be found at http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHtables/OH2012-Tab02.pdf

For those of you in the San Francisco – San Mateo California area, Bill Gottesman, NASS dialist, has created an “eclipse clock”, a new type of paper sundial made specifically for the partial solar. You need a simple pin-hole projector (a card with a small hole in it) to cast a shadow of the eclipsed sun.  The angle of the moon’s shadow tells accurate time (at least for San Mateo California). Bill will discuss how he made this dial at the NASS Sundial Conference in Asheville this August.  Come find out how he did it.

Attachments:

Eclipse_Sundial_2012.pdf

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Sundial WebCam In Action

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Published: 12 December 2011

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Hamilton Dial Restoration

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Published: 04 November 2024

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NASS Registered Sundial #1109 at https://sundials.org/index.php/sundial-registry/onedial/1109 is one of a series of bronze sundials presented by Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, dedicated to the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic. Unfortunately the dial in Hamilton, Ohio, suffers from neglect and the gnomon has long been missing.

With support, this dial has been designated for restoration in 2025. A tri-fold brochure from the Butler County Historical Society is attached, explaining the restoration effort and asking for donations. Once restored it will be returned to Monument Park in Hamilton. NASS has contributed 1000 USD to the restoration effort and a local philanthropist has donated 5000 USD. Kathleen Fox, head of the restoration effort, reports that as of Nov 1, 2024, "Our total cash on hand now is a little over 15,000 USD and counting. We have two more months of the campaign left... and the goal of selling [memorial] bricks has just passed 100....We are also purchasing a polished granite hexagon piece on which to place the sundial. I have applied for a 2,500 USD grant to cover that cost."

Click on https://hamiltonthrive.com/c/restore-the-gar-sundial/ to read the history of this dial and to support the restoration effort through a 501(c)3.  A short video is on this internet page explaining the restoration effort. 

Attachments:

Butler County Historical Society - Sundial Donations

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Louis B. Toomer and Sundial Remembered

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Published: 13 April 2019

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In June 2018 the Georgia Historical Society dedicated a historical marker in Chatham Square to Louis B. Toomer, which read in part "Louis Burke Toomer, African-American leader, local bank founder, and realtor, was born in Savannah in 1897. Raised and educated locally, Toomer established the Georgia Savings and Realty Corporation on February 23, 1927, in the historic black business district on West Broad Street. During segregation, the company provided banking, investment, and insurance services for blacks who were not always allowed access to white banking establishments...." [1]

But before the historical marker was the Louis B. Toomer sundial in Chatham Square. As Georgia Wright Benton (past president of the Savannah Chapter of the National Conference of Artists) recalled:

"The sundial was dedicted in the spring of 1963 by the Savannah Chapter of the National Conference of Artists ... an organization comprised of black students throughout Chatham County along with their art teachers. West Broad Street School for black students was closed in 1962 and the pupils were transferred to Barnard Street School. Members of the National Conference of Artists visited the new school and one of our members observed that the park in front of the school, Chatham Square, needed improvement. Beautification of Chatham Square became a project for the organization, and the group decided to place a sundial in the square. We wanted something permanent that represented the black community in front of the Barnard Street school."

"The organization held several fundraisers to pay for the sundial. The primary fundraiser was a concert held in the Beach High School auditorium during the fall of 1962. Our concert artist was Kiah’s sister, a soprano singer. The fundraiser was a success and the sundial was purchased with help from Carver State Bank and Toomer’s wife, Janie. ... This sundial was the first dedication to an African-American in a Savannah square contributed by black students of a black organization." [2]

Over the years vandals have attacked and damaged the sundial. Each time, members of the Savannah-Chatham Historic Site and Monument Commission restored the sundial, " [making] a public plea for help and a reminder to the monument marauder that destruction of public property is a felony..." [3] You can see more of this dial in the NASS Sundial Registry (Georgia/Savannah #942).

[1] https://georgiahistory.com/events/historical-marker-dedication-louis-b-toomer-founder-of-carver-state-bank/
[2] https://www.savannahnow.com/opinion/20181129/letters-to-editor-friday-recalling-history-of-chatham-square-sundial
[3] https://www.savannahnow.com/news/2012-01-18/vandals-target-chatham-square-marker

Restored Cranmer Dial Dedicated

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Published: 09 November 2018

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On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 the six-foot-tall Cranmer Sundial and surrounding Plaza were rededicated, celebrating the completion of a 2 million renovation project that started nearly two years ago.  The city's Parks and Recreation Department replaced the cracked and sinking terrazzo plaza that was originally laid in the 1930s. They improved the drainage system that was a factor in the plaza's deteriation as well.

In 1941 George Cranmer placed a sundial of Chinese tradition on what was then called Mountain View Park.  But in 1966 the original Cranmer Sundial was blown up with dynamite.  The community rallied to raise funds and  through the Erickson Monument Company, erected a large 6-foot disk equatorial dial of pink granitie on a terrazzo plaza.  But the years did not treat the sundial well.  When the sundial fell into disrepair the community pulled together again, and through the organization The Park People started "Save Our Sundial" and began fundraising.  In all, citizens were able to raise $830,000 for the dial's repair.  The Denver City Council committed to the rest of the funding, but the restoration would not be possible without the financial support of the residence of Hilltop community.

At the dedication, City Councilwoman of District 5, Mary Beth Susman said, “To have it restored to what George Cranmer’s vision was ... meaningful to all of us,  and to have it restored in such a beautiful way, with the inlay still there, I can’t tell you how moving it is to celebrate this day.” [CBS News]

Read more:
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/our-colorado/-2-million-project-restores-historic-denver-sundial-at-cranmer-park

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/10/03/hilltop-cranmer-park-sundial/

Portland Vets to Restore High School Sundial

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Published: 09 November 2018

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In Portland Oregon during the rennovation of Ulysses S. Grant High School an old brass sundial with only the remenant of a gnomon stood on a concrete pedestal ready to be turned into scrap metal and dust.  But now according to Portand KPTV "a group of veterans want to bring it back similar to its original state."  The dial, about 8 inches in diameter with Roman numerals from 5am to 7pm has the engraved inscription "Presented by Grant High School in Memory of the Grant High Boys Killed in Action in World War II"

KPTV Fox News 12 reporter Tyler Dumont interviewed Daniel Thompson, "We're going to restore it and make it a part of the future of Grant High School,"  He and other contractors, all veterans, formed a group to restore it for the school's opening in the summer of 2019. Thompson continued, "As a veteran, all the veterans feel like remembering the wars that were fought and the wars we're still fighting - it's important that everybody, every student, does not forget that."

Tyler Dumont  summed it up: "A historic piece of patriotism and honor at Northeast Portland’s Grant High School: this sundial is in memory of 101 former Grant students that were killed in World War II. After years of vandalism & aging, a group of veterans are set to restore it." pic.twitter.com/5NsibjDTfp

See KPTV's video of the sundial and interview at: https://www.kptv.com/news/group-restoring-historic-sundial-honoring-veterans-at-portland-high-school/article_9d2d432a-b52d-11e8-a26e-c3d447a6d595.html