This clever Google Maps mashup creates a customized template for making a vertical sundial based on your location and the specific building you're going to mount it to—seemingly simple, but also ...

A ball of clay, some toothpicks, a straw, and a flashlight make a great model for understanding shadows. When an object sticks out from the part of earth’s surface that is facing the sun, it will cast ...

This article was originally published with the title “ A Sun-dial as an Accurate Time-piece ” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 105 No. 5 (July 1911), p. 97 doi:10.1038 ...