I bought an armillary-sphere style sundial at a garden centre in
Holland many years back. When I got it home, I discovered it was
intended for use in the southern hemisphere as the hours on the
hour-marker band were "wrong." But flipping it over had them correct.
Unfortunately, one has to stand on one's head to read the time. ;-)
-- Richard Langley
Quoting Brent <bren...@verizon.net>:
Hello again;
For fun I removed my globe from its' frame and re-inserted it upside
down. Now Antarctica is at the top.
I suppose nothing has really changed except my point of view.
I notice that when I change south to north, east is now on my left
as I look north. This is disorienting to say the least. I suppose I
should also change east to west but then the sun would rise in the
west and set in the east!
I notice also that viewed from the top, the earth is now turning in
a clockwise direction. This makes more sense for time keeping
devices that have hands.
I think north and south, east and west, up and down, top and bottom
are arbitrary directions that could change if we wanted to.
However, the imaginary circle we trace in the air for describing
clockwise direction cannot change. Sure we can swap names but that
circle we trace identifies a direction of travel and will forever be
the same direction.
Suppose I was in charge and I changed south to north and east to
west. Would our sundials all still work? Would it simply be a matter
of changing the NSEW labels or would the hour marks have to be
flipped also?
Has anyone ever made an upside down sundial?
thanks;
brent
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Richard B. Langley E-mail: l...@unb.ca
Geodetic Research Laboratory Web: http://www.unb.ca/GGE/
Dept. of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering Phone: +1 506 453-5142
University of New Brunswick Fax: +1 506 453-4943
Fredericton, N.B., Canada E3B 5A3
Fredericton? Where's that? See: http://www.city.fredericton.nb.ca/
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