Tell the time of day by estimating the position of the center of the shadow of the nodus, cast among the hour lines. To correct Solar Time for Standard Time, refer to the Standard Time Correction table for Washington, D.C. Add one hour for Daylight Saving Time. Refer to a chart showing sunrise, sunset, and twilight for one year for Washington, D.C. (Custom suncharts courtesy Ethan Dicks, ED-11, South Pole, Antarctica.)

The FCPS/NOVAC EarthDial features three east-west lines showing the Sun's declination (from top-to-bottom): the December Solstice; the March- & September Equinoxes; and the June Solstice. Tell the approximate time of year by comparing the position of the center of the shadow of the nodus to the (solar) declination lines. The North American Sundial Society (NASS) Current Data Web page shows where on Earth the Sun is currently directly overhead (see small Sun icon, correctly oriented with respect to latitude and longitude).

Note: Every ED-7 image is "stamped" with the actual date & time the image was taken. Time is displayed using a 24-hour clock (hh:mm). Morning times (a.m.) appear the same in either 12- or 24-hour clock format. Convert afternoon times (p.m.) to 24-hour clock format by adding "12" to the number of hours, e.g., 1:00 p.m. + 12 = 13:00 (pronounced 13-hundred hours). To convert local time to universal time, refer to the UTC/EST/EDT Time Conversion Table.