The Longitude Dial

A Work of Art and Science in Time

The Longitude Dial is available in three models to suit a variety of settings, from house to apartment to campus or corporate headquarters. Each dial is engraved with the desired inscription and special occasions, marked with a unique serial number, and supplied with a signed and dated certificate of origin.

Terrace
Garden
Monumental
Aravaca, Madrid, Spain
Santa Barbara, California
Pauling, NY
New York, NY
Greenwich, CT
Pauling, NY
Key Biscayne, Florida and São Paulo, Brazil, two sides of the same dial.

The Longitude Dial rediscovers time as a measure of the rhythm of nature and expresses it by balancing art and science. In doing so, it has an eternal heart of its own, one that belongs to our family.

Fernando Barnuevo Sebastian de Erice and Gloria Ybarra Malo de Molina

Owners of Longitude Dial No. 7 (Terrace style)

The Terrace Dial

Measuring about 12 inches (30 cm.) in diameter, the Terrace model can be used in a sunny indoor area, such as an atrium, and easily moved to a sun porch or garden terrace of the same house.  With the aid of its bubble level, the Dial’s three screw feet can be easily adjusted to accommodate different surfaces.  Because it can be personalized in many specials ways, it is a unique gift for an anniversary, the birth of a child, a wedding, or just to remind someone that you love them.

Greenwich, CT
Poughkeepsie, NY
Poughkeepsie, NY
East Hampton, NY
Poughkeepsie, NY
East Hampton, NY
Poughkeepsie, NY
Poughkeepsie, NY
East Hampton, NY
East Hampton, NY

I look at my wristwatch a hundred times a day without thinking, then immediately forget what time it is. But when I go out to consult my Longitude Dial, observe the shadow of the gnomon, and adjust for the equation of time, I feel a delightful sense of accomplishment and enrichment.  Time has become more meaningful to me for the experience of telling it in this beautiful way.

Dava Sobel, author of Longitude, Galileo’s Daughter, The Planets, and The Glass Universe

Owner of Longitude Dial No. 4 (Garden style)

The Garden Dial

For hundreds of years, sundials have been used to complement the elegance and beauty of a garden, silently recording the passage of time and the natural cycles on which life on Earth depends.  Sometimes, they include a verse from a poem or other literary quote meaningful to the owner.  The Garden-style Longitude Dial is about 23 inches (58 cm.) in diameter and is mounted on a pedestal secured on a firm foundation.  A compass rose can also be provided with features, such as the direction and distance of significant places in the life of the client.

The Garden Dial requires at least two site visits, the first is to discuss with the client the desired features and other details, choose an appropriate location that will gives an optimal amount of sunshine throughout the year, and resolve the foundation requirements with a local builder to the specifications provided; on the second visit, after the foundation and the dial parts are ready, the pedestal and the dial will be precisely leveled, oriented, and secured in place.

The Monumental Dial

ranges in size according to the design details of the commission.  The smallest so far has been about 3.3 feet (1 meter) in diameter, and the largest about 16.4 feet (5 meters).  Like the Garden Dial, it is installed on a custom pedestal in a location that promises abundant sunshine and can be designed to provide calendrical information obtained from the Sun’s apparent motion.  The compass rose that surrounds these dials provides a unique opportunity to introduce other information of general interest, such as the direction and distance of cities throughout the world.

The Longitude Dial allows students to observe the effects of Earth’s rotation, revolution, and axis tilt firsthand. It is an excellent teaching tool — a fascinating synthesis of ancient wisdom and modern ingenuity.

Joshua Lake, Science Department Chair, Pomfret School, Connecticut

Longitude Dial No. 8 (Monumental style)

POMFRET
BURGHLEY
DEERFIELD
NOTRE DAME
HATFIELD
TCU
CHILPANCINGO
The TCU Dial, the TCU mascot on the plaza
The TCU Dial, compass rose engraving 20-35° showing the distances to cities around the world
The TCU Dial, meridian crossing, from the East on May 3, 2015
The TCU Dial, meridian transit, on May 3, 2015
The TCU Dial, plate detail, special occasion lines, May 2, 2015
The TCU Dial, gnomon post detail
The TCU Dial, face plate May 3, 2015
The TCU Dial, from the North-East, May 3, 2015

Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas

The commissioning of this work was made possible through the generosity of Joseph I. O’Neill III to honor his wife Marion Jan Donnelly O’Neill, who graduated from Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business on June 4, 1969.

Located in front of the Walsh Performing Arts Center, 2800 South University Drive, at latitude 32°:42′:39.22″ North and longitude 97°:21′:38.87″ West.

Birdseye view of Hatfield House and Gardens marked with the location of the Hatfield Dial (painting by Marcus May)
The Hatfield Dial is located in the West wing garden. View from the Northwest
The design is based on an armillary sphere, an astronomical instrument used for teaching at the time Hatfield House was built
View from the West
View from the East
On the left in the background is the Old Palace at Hatfield, where Henry VIII’s daughter Elizabeth lived before she became Queen in 1558
The gnomon's shadow indicates noon on the map and local time on hour scale. The bead's shadow shows where the sun is overhead
To commemorate Robert Cecil's life, the gnomon bead's shadow will follow the special occasion lines on their appointed dates
Drawing of the overall design of the Hatfield Dial and its compass rose
Compass rose detail showing the direction and distance of 125 places. Those in green have historical associations with the Cecil family
The grand opening of the Hatfield Dial, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Hatfield House, took place on Thursday, 23rd June, 2011

The Hatfield Dial

The Hatfield Dial was commissioned by Robert, Seventh Marquess of Salisbury, and his family to mark the 400th anniversary  of Hatfield House in 2011 and to commemorate the life of Robert Cecil (1563-1612), chief minister of King James I and First Earl of Salisbury, for whom the house was built.

The dial is located in the Sundial Garden at Latitude 51°:45’:38.19” North of the Equator and Longitude 0°:12’:40.56” West of Greenwich, about 75 yards southeast of the Old Palace where Henry VIII’s daughter Elizabeth was residing before she became Queen in 1558. Hatfield House lies in the center of the map.

Engraved on the dial plate is a passage from an ode by Ben Jonson (1572-1637), a playwright and poet sometimes employed by Robert Cecil: “In small proportions, we just beautie see: And in short measures, life may perfect bee.”

The design of the polished stainless steel arms supporting the dial plate is based on an armillary sphere, a scientific instrument depicting the heavens that was widely used for teaching astronomy at the time Hatfield House was built. In addition to telling the time, the dial plate serves as a form of nephoscope, a cloud-observing instrument used in the 1800s to observe the direction of the wind by the drift of clouds reflected in its polished black surface.

The dial plate, information panels, and degree scale are made from a micro-fine igneous rock called gabbro, quarried in China and India. The pedestal is carved from Clipsham limestone, a sedimentary rock found in Lincolnshire not far from Burghley House, where Robert Cecil’s father, Lord Burghley, lived. The compass rose is composed of Cornish granite pavers with large pointers of green Cumbrian slate and small pointers of blue and red Welsh slate. Outside the gabbro degree scale, which is divided from 0° to 360° in a clockwise direction, are arrows showing the direction and distance of 125 places throughout the world: those marked in red point to English cathedrals that were prominent at the time Hatfield House was built; those in black refer to well-known cities and islands; and those in green have historical associations with the Cecil family.

From an aerial view, you will notice that the compass rose is angled about 3° from the pathways leading to the dial, which are aligned with the house and its surrounding landscape. The Old Palace, built about 1485, also has its own independent orientation. This variance in their alignment from true North suggests that their original surveys were made with a magnetic compass, which would show the direction of the North magnetic pole rather than true North.

Hatfield House, Hatfied, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England

Telephone: (+44) 01707 287010
https://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/

See also:  http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/house-park-garden/the-garden/the-sundial-garden/

Notre Dame Dial and meridian Crossing detail, August 25, 2009
Notre Dame Dial, information panels and meridian crossing
Notre Dame Dial with IAU meeting and with students July 9, 2009
Notre Dame Dial face view from above
Notre Dame Dial, view of complete installation from above

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana

https://www.nd.edu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsq1DlWqlXU

(opening remarks by the Provost, John Affleck Graves)

The commissioning of this work was made possible through the generosity of Jan and Joseph I. O’Neill III, ’67, to honor the memory of Joe’s roommate Michael P. Flynn (’67) and his brother Kevin P. O’Neill, ’69.

Located at the entrance of the Jordan Hall of Science, the Notre Dame Dial is situated at latitude 41°:42’:00.45” North and longitude 86°:13’:54.63” West.

The Deerfield Dial stands in front of the entrance to the Boyden Library at Deerfield Academy
View from the Boyden Library
The compass rose is made of green granite from Lake Placid, NY, red granite from Wausau, WI, and gray granite from Barre, VT
As well as a meeting point, the Deerfield Dial serves as a teaching aid in subjects such as astronomy, cartography, geology, and horology
Because the dial and pedestal are circular, the polished green granite information panels are cut in conic sections
On March 1, the bead's shadow will follow the line commemorating the founding of Deerfield Academy in 1797
The pedestal is hand-carved from Indiana limestone, the dial and meridian plates are made of gabbro from the Shanxi Province in China
Looking West
Looking southeast in the late afternoon after filming the Deerfield Dial for Hodinkee Magazine's documentary “Chasing the Sun"

The Deerfield Dial

Dedicated to teaching and Learning at Deerfield Academy, the Deerfield Dial was commissioned in 2007 at the same time that the Koch Center for the study of science, mathematics, and technology was under construction.  In 2012, the dial was moved to its present site in front of the Boyden Library, where, with the addition of a new pedestal, meridian, and compass rose, it could better serve its educational purpose.  In this new location, it stands at 42°, 32′, 47″ North of the Equator and 72°, 36′, 25″ West of the prime meridian of the world at Greenwich, England.  Deerfield Academy is located in the center of the map.

The dial and the meridian plate are made of gabbro, an igneous rock from the Shanxi Province in China; the pedestal from Oolitic limestone, quarried and hard-carved in Bedford Indiana; the compass rose from gray granite from Barre, Vermont; the large green granite pointers from the mountains near Lake Placid, New York, and the smaller red pointers from red granite from Wassau, Wisconsin.  The cardinal points of the compass rose are made of blackened brass.

On the map and its surrounding degree scale, the shadow of the gnomon (the shadow-casting wire that points due North) indicates where local noon is occurring. The shadow of the bead marks the point on Earth where the Sun is directly overhead.  At the equinoxes, around March 21 and September 22, the bead’s shadow moves along the line of the Equator. At the summer solstice around June 21, it traces the Tropic of Cancer.  On March 1, it follows the path of the Sun on the day that Deerfield Academy was founded in 1797.

Deerfield Academy, 7 Boyden Lane, Deerfield, Massachussetts, 01342

Telephone: (001) 413 772-0241

https://deerfield.edu

Burghley House, one of England’s grandest country houses, was built over a period of 32 years between 1555 and 1587
Located in the “Garden of Surprises”, the Burghley Dial fascinates adults and children alike
Looking East. William Cecil, the 1st Lord Burghley (1520-1598) "much delighted in making gardens, fountains and walks"
Friday, April 27, 2007: Opening day of the Burghley Dial
Learning how it works
To commemorate William Cecil’s 500th birthday on 15th September, 2020, the gnomon bead’s shadow will trace the line marking that date
View from the South: the vertical slot in the engraved plate allows a beam of sunlight to shine at noon on the meridian line under the dial
When the Sun is due South, the exact moment of noon is shown both on the dial and on the meridian beneath the dial
Getting a closer look: when the beam of sunlight crosses the meridian at noon, its length will tell you the date and the sign of the zodiac
Watching the Earth rotate as the gnomon’s shadow moves

The Burghley Dial

The Burghley Dial was commissioned by Lady Victoria Leatham to commemorate the life and work of her ancestor William Cecil (1520-1598), the Lord High Treasurer and chief advisor to Queen Elizabeth I who made him Baron Burghley in 1571. Burghley House was built between 1555 and 1587. The Burghley Dial is located in the Garden of Surprises at latitude 52°:38’:32.25” North, longitude 0°:26’:48.92” West. The inscription around the edge of the dial plate reads: “In memory of William Cecil, the 1st Lord Burghley (1520-1598) “who much delighted in making gardens, fountains and walks”.

The dial’s pedestal is a heptagon, each side representing one of the planets from which the names of the seven days of the week evolved. Based on the ancient Egyptian concept of an Earth-centered universe, the planets — those seen with the naked eye (Sun and Moon included) — were believed to orbit the Earth in order of their perceived distance: Saturn (the most distant), Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, and Moon. Each hour of the 24-hour day was assigned to a planet, using the same order repeated consecutively for a period of seven days. Each day was named for the planet that governed its first hour: hence, Saturn’s day became Saturday, the Sun’s Day, Sunday, & etc. Since the planets were associated with mythological gods of different cultures, the day names vary linguistically: from Tiw, the old English name for the Nordic god Tyr, comes Tuesday. The equivalent Roman war god is Mars, from which mardi, martedi, and other related names derived.

The dial, the meridian, and its vertical plate facing due South are made of gabbro, an igneous rock from China; the pedestal was carved by the stonemasons at Burghley House from a single block of Clipsham limestone that came from a nearby quarry; the pavers used for the compass rose are made of Yorkstone.

Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 3JY, England

Telephone: (+44) 01780 752451
https://www.burghley.co.uk/
For more photographs, google “Burghley House sundial photos”
Please check opening times before visiting

 

Design and Construction

Inner courtyard of Burghley House
The inner courtyard window arches inspired the design of the pedestal arches and their spandrels.
Plan view and model of the Burghley Dial. The dial’s seven sides represent the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn after which the days of the week are named.
January 12, 2007: Detail of the gabbro dial plate with Gary Hahn, who did the engraving and assisted with the installation.
January 26, 2007: All the parts of the dial are finally ready for shipment from the USA to England.
February 15, 2007: Gwyn Watkins, the chief stonemason at Burghley House, applying the finishing touches to the pedestal.
Stonemasons Grady Willis and Steve Sergeant, who worked with Gwyn to carve the pedestal and its arches from a single block of Clipsham limestone
February 15, 2007: Gwyn and Steve keep watch as Mick Ford, the site foreman, transports the pedestal to the Garden of Surprises.
Two coins were placed in the mortar under the foundation stone before it was lowered in place.
The foundation stone was leveled and precisely oriented with the dial plate before the pedestal was set in place.
February 16, 2007: Lowering the pedestal capstone and setting the dial plate.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007: the day that the dial’s installation was complete: (l-r) Gwyn Watkins, Will Andrewes, Steve Sergeant, Grady Willis, and Gary Hahn.
View of the Pomfret Dial looking Northeast
Detail showing the signature plate and, on the perimeter, the names of the 99 graduates of the Class of 2004 in whose honor this dial was made
The gnomon post is made of patinated brass and the dial plate of gabbro, an igneous rock that absorbs the heat of the Sun and melts the snow
At noon, the Sun shines through the South-facing leg on to the meridian line, indicating by its length the season, date, and sign of the zodiac
The shadow shows where noon is occurring on the map; on the degree scale, its location East of the Prime Meridian; on the hour scale, the time
The shadow of the gnomon bead shows where the Sun is directly overhead. On this day, the summer solstice, it is following the Tropic of Cancer
Will Andrewes with director Michael Culyba and cameraman Luke Geissbühler after filming the dial for the 2020 documentary "Keeper of Time”

The Pomfret Dial

The Pomfret Dial was commissioned to honor the 99 graduating students in the Class of 2004 and was the first Monumental Longitude Dial. It is located in the quad behind the main school building, close to the Corzine Athletic Center & Olmsted Student Union, at latitude 41°53’:8.18” North and longitude 71°:57’:52.94” West.

The dial and the meridian plate are made of gabbro, an igneous rock from China; the pedestal is made of Barre granite from a quarry in Barre, Vermont.

Pomfret School, Pomfret, Connecticut 06258, USA
Telephone: (001) 860-963-6100
https//www.pomfret.org

Chilpancingo Dial, the maquette of Urdaneta shown in the 3D model and Urdaneta mariner's astrolabe cast in bronze
Chilpancingo Dial, Morelos descriptive stone and sculptures
Chilpancingo Dial, arch aperture
Chilpancingo Dial, Hidalgo-Morelos sculpture and circle
Chilpancingo Dial, globe
Chilpancingo Dial, Acapulco map detail
Chilpancingo Dial, beam of light at noon on September 2012 9, 2014
Chilpancingo Dial, 3D rendering

Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico

Note:  This work was commissioned by the State of Guerrero under the administration of Zeferino Torreblanca and funded by the Federal Government of Mexico in 2010 to commemorate the Bicentenary of Mexico’s Independence.  During the next state administration, which came to power in 2011, the funds were used for other projects.  Therefore, the construction and final installation cannot be completed until additional financing is forthcoming.

Cielo y Tierra (Heaven and Earth) — the name given to the Chilpancingo Dial — was designed and constructed to commemorate the bicentenary of the Congress of Chilpancingo and Mexico’s first declaration of independence.  The Congress took place in the Catedral de Santa María de la Asunción in Chilpancingo.  It was there, on September 13, 1813, that José María Morelos presented his “Sentiments of the Nation”, a now famous document that laid out the principles of a constitution to establish Mexico’s independence from Spain.

This monumental sundial was chosen to mark this seminal event in Mexico’s history, because it combines two elements linking the past and the present:  astronomy (which played such an important role in the pre-Columbian world) and time measurement (a foundation stone of our present civilization).  With the armillary hemisphere (representing the heavens) arching over the dial (symbolizing Mother Earth), it illustrates the universe known to the Olmecs, Aztecs, and other ancient civilization — and hence its name:  Cielo y Tierra.

The five-meter diameter dial encircles the map, and the water in the oceans flows off the edge into the surrounding channel.  The fifteen-meter armillary hemisphere arching over the dial supports the gnomon, the shadow casting wire that indicates the time on the hour circle.  The compass rose terrace has been designed to appear like an island, echoing the original island city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Mexica civilization.  The water surrounding the compass rose flows from under its perimeter into the waterfall and moat.  Like the causeways that connected Tenochtitlan to the mainland, steps and bridges provide access to the sundial from the North, East, and South, and ramps lead up to the West entrance.

Located in the Bicentennial Park, Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico at latitude at 17°:31′:8.90″ North and longitude 99°:29′:4.53″ West.

Full size wax model and completed sculpture with Raphael, Vicky, and Lloyd, January 14, 2011
Jim Montgomery, founder of New England Sculpture Service and Will Andrewes standing in for Hidalgo
Chilpancingo globe installed and Jim Montgomery, founder of New England Sculpture Service
Vicky, Lloyd with Hidalgo and Morelos scale and full size sculptures
Gary working on the meridian
Chilpancingo Arch meridian installed and awaiting pavers
Meridian installation
The meridian team
Chilpancingo Arch meridian with Gary Hahn
Chilpancingo Arch meridian with Gary Hahn and his son Justin
Chilpancingo Dial and arch, beginning construction and completed arch