Sundial

A sundial is a horological device that tells the time of day when direct sunlight shines by the apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the word, it consists of a flat plate and a gnomon, which casts a shadow onto the dial. As the Sun appears to move through the sky, the shadow aligns with different hour-lines, which are marked on the dial to indicate the time of day.

The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, though a single point or nodus may be used.
The gnomon casts a broad shadow; the shadow of the style shows the time.
The gnomon may be a rod, wire, or elaborately decorated metal casting.

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Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

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Museum entries, images, and facts are drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses.