Does a Sundial Go Clockwise

Why do the hands on clocks go “clockwise?” Seems like a circular definition, but if you looked closely at sundials in the northern hemisphere, you’d notice that the shadow of the sun moves around the sundial in a “clockwise” direction. This was adopted by clock-makers and became the standard we know today.

Why do we need to point the gnomon of a sundial to the north direction?

To accurately tell time, the gnomon of a horizontal sundial must be parallel to the earth’s axis and therefore must point directly to the celestial pole. To accomplish this in the Northern Hemisphere one must determine the position of the true North line at the place where the sundial is to be located.

How do you set up a sundial compass?

Use a compass or look for the North Star at night to find true north. Then, rotate the face of your sundial until the gnomon, or the pin of the sundial, is pointing straight north. The 12:00 noon notation is aligned with the gnomon, so it will be pointing north as well.