Note: The
determination of the “largest” sundial in the world is difficult because it
depends on whether it is measured by height, width, or the gnomon (the vertical
structure that creates the shadow indicating the time of day).
|
Three of the largest sundials in the world are as follows:
The Samrat Yantra (translation:
Supreme Instrument) in Jaipur, India is one of the world’s largest sundials. (It
is difficult to pin down the “largest sundial in the world” because “largest”
can translate to height or width).
The Samrat Yantra is 90 feet tall, and is so large that its shadow moves at speed of 1 millimeter per second. If you stand and watch it, you’ll see it move about 2 and 1/3 inches every minute.
Samrat Yantra Sundial in Jaipur, India |
The Sundial Bridge
(also known as the Sundial Bridge at
Turtle Bay) is a cantilever spar
cable-styed bridge for bicycles and pedestrians that spans the Sacramento River
in Redding, California, and forms a large sundial.
The Sundial Bridge in Redding, California |
Taipei 101 is
a supertall skyscraper located in Taipei, Taiwan. It held the record as the
world’s tallest building from its opening in 2004 until the 2010 completion of
the Burj Khalifa.
A circular park to the east of Taipei 101 acts as the sundial face, telling the afternoon hours using
the shadow cast by the building.
Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan
|
The Sundial Bridge and the Taipei tower are not sundials because they are only accurate one or two days a year, so they are not more accurate than any object over the Earth surface. A sundial has to be accurate everyday. The Jaipur sundial is the largest STONE sundial of the world, and one of the most interesting as it has a lot of historical value. Nevertheless the largest sundial of the world is located in Zaragoza (Spain) and has been acknowledged as such by the Guinness World Record organization some years ago. It is larger than the Jaipur's one, although not as interesting in historical terms, but it also has an outstanding accuracy (a few seconds) everyday of the year.
ReplyDeleteThank you for comments.
Delete