How to Build a Temporary Sundial
Tell time as ancient people did by building a temporary sundial that will tell you the approximate local time from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., using only a stick and 13 pebbles. It's an interesting project made possible by the reliability of the sun's regular movement across the sky. It's also a good way to introduce children to the wonders of the natural world. Here's how to do it.
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Instructions
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Pick an open, sunny area where the shadows of trees or other objects won't interfere with your sundial. Find a place where both sunrise and sunset are visible so the sundial will record the time for all daylight hours.
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Locate true North. One way to do this is to stand at night in the area where you will build the sundial and locate the North Star (Polaris). Push a straight stick about a foot long into the ground at an angle pointing to the North Star. Place a pebble in line with the North Star about 2 inches beyond and to the north of the end of the stick. This pebble will mark 12:00 noon.
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Draw a straight east-to-west line in the dirt about two inches south of the stick. The line should be approximately two feet long, one foot on each side of the stick. In other words, the stick should be at the center point of the line.
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Kneel behind the line, facing north, and place one pebble on the end of each line, then place 5 pebbles on each side of the 12:00 pebble, spaced evenly. The pebbles, when properly placed, will form a half circle with the 12:00 pebble at the top of the arc with all the pebbles spaced evenly apart. Each pebble marks 15 degrees, the distance the sun travels in one hour.
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Practice setting your sundial and checking it with a watch before relying on the sundial when you are out in the wilderness. If you have oriented your sundial correctly, the shadow of your stick pointer should be on each successive pebble at the top of each hour.
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Tips & Warnings
A star chart will help you locate the North Star. You can also cheat a bit and use a compass to locate north and to orient your east-to-west line.
