Stretching gracefully across the Sacramento River in Redding, CA is this glass bottomed bridge opened in 2004. It is suspended by cables from the white tower structure. The tower is on the north shore of the river and is the gnomon of a sundial. The river is important for salmon spawning and is not to be disturbed by the structure. This work of art is by Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava. Read more about the designer and the bridge at this link. Visit this Google Maps view showing the north-south orientation.
A gnomon is a shaft that helps indicate time by the shadow it casts. They can be simple such as a stick in the ground, or highly ornate, as the one above. They can stand vertical, horizontal, or in between. They can be made of many different kinds of materials. How they are incorporated into a sundial design by the maker varies in thousands of ways, often very creatively. A simple and traditional design of a sundial involves a horizontal plate with a gnomon pointing toward the north star. In this version, the gnomon is a triangular shape. That makes no difference. It just needs to cast a shadow.
School children have made sundials for generations. The lessons use a wide variety of materials and styles. They all work. With a little care, tape, staples, scissors, paper, and glue, a functional sundial can be made such as this one. Here are the directions if you want to try making it yourself.
I did some Googling around and collected some other interesting and unique examples of sundials around the world. I learned some local history along the way which I have added to the pictures. Join me below for the tour. It won't take much of your time.
By the way, does anyone know what time it is?