Photo Index - The NWU-CMMS Equatorial Sundial

Sandburg Center for Sky Awareness
A Fairfax County Public Schools Planetarium

The Carroll Moore Memorial Sundial
Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE
40° 50' 21.4" N latitude, 96° 39' 01.3" W longitude

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Aerial photograph, 1-foot resolution ortho-imagery, flown 17 April 2002.
Click here for a full-size version of this photo...

The Carroll Moore Memorial Sundial (CMMS), located on the campus of Nebraska Wesleyan University (see aerial photograph, shown left) in Lincoln, NE, is an equatorial sundial, dedicated in memory of Carroll Moore, retired NWU professor of physics and astronomy. The CMMS is similar to its "sister sundial" located at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE

Setting the Sundial - A Two-Step Process
The sundial, made possible by a generous donation from the Moore family, was manufactured by Cold Spring Granite Inc., Cold Spring, MN, and installed by Milacek Monument Co., Omaha, NE. Invaluable assistance was provided by local amateur astronomers, Erik Hubl (No. 48-51) and Dr. Peter Morin, M.D. (No. 16). The base of the sundial was installed on Wednesday, 20 March 1998 (see below, No. 1-6); the dial plate and gnomon were installed the following Wednesday, 27 March 1998 (see No. 7-27). The granite base weighs 6,270 lbs. and is ~6 ft. in diameter. The granite dial plate weighs 3,420 lbs. and is 5 ft. 8 in. in diameter. The stainless steel gnomon weighs 200 lbs. and is 5 in. in diameter.
Step 1. Installing the Base
The base of the sundial was installed on a cold and drizzly day (see No. 1-6). Seated on a concrete pier, the granite base features a shallow groove in which the dial plate rests and a pre-drilled hole for the gnomon (see below, No. 17).		No. 1 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 2 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size
No. 3 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 4 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 5 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 6 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size

Step 2. Installing the Dial Plate & Gnomon
No. 7 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 8 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 9 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 10 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size
No. 11 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 12 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 13 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 14 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size
No. 15 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 16 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 17 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 18 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size
No. 19 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 20 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 21 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 22 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size
No. 23 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 24 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 25 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	No. 26 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size
No. 27 1/4-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size	A surveyor's transit was used to site the sundial along a true north-south line (see photo No. 10, shown above, and No. 27, shown left). For details, see descriptor, No. 27 (appears on mouse roll-over). The fully-functioning (one minute of arc) 'paragon style' K&E transit, circa 1950-or-so, was carefully restored by Erik Hubl, professional cartographer.

Memorial Service & Dedication Ceremony
*Moore, Lincoln astronomer, dies at 79* (obituary, Lincoln Journal Star) *A Service of Celebration of the Life and Memory of Carroll L. Moore* Sunday, 08 December 1996: Page 1; Page 2 *Dedication of the Carroll Moore Memorial Sundial* Saturday, 16 May 1998: Page 1; Page 2

Time Checks - Testing the Accuracy of the Sundial
"For the first full year after the sundial was installed, I checked it regularly to see how accurate it was; my results show it is accurate to within several minutes of true time." Erik Hubl
Upper Dial Face The gnomon shadow falls on the upper dial face from the March Equinox to the September Equinox. Hour lines radiate from the exact center of the dial face; tell time by estimating the center of the gnomon shadow. Time checks for the upper dial face were performed morning (No. 28-30), midday (No. 31-32), and evening (No. 33-34). See actual test results (46k Microsoft® Word document).	No. 28 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 19 JUN 1998, 08:05:00 CDT.
No. 29 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 19 JUN 1998, 08:05:15 CDT.	No. 30 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 19 JUN 1998, 08:07:00 CDT.
No. 31 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 17 JUN 1998, 13:27:30 CDT.	No. 32 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 17 JUN 1998, 13:27:45 CDT.
No. 33 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 17 JUN 1998, 19:43:00 CDT.	No. 34 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 17 JUN 1998, 19:43:15 CDT.
No. 35 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size Lower dial face.	No. 36 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size Commemorative plaques on granite base.
Lower Dial Face The gnomon shadow falls on the lower dial face from the September Equinox to the March Equinox. Time checks for the lower dial face were performed midday (No. 37-39) and evening (No. 40-43). See text transcripts of the CMMS commemorative plaques (No. 36), including directions for telling time (4.1M Microsoft® Word document), authored by Erik Hubl.	No. 37 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 DEC 1998, 12:26:00 CST.
No. 38 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 DEC 1998, 12:30:00 CST.	No. 39 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 DEC 1998, 12:30:15 CST.
No. 40 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 SEP 1998, 19:00:00 CDT.	No. 41 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 SEP 1998, 19:00:15 CDT.
No. 42 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 SEP 1998, 19:13:00 CDT.	No. 43 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 SEP 1998, 19:13:15 CDT.

Inspirational Thoughts & Photographs
According to classical Greek epic poetry, immortality is possible when one lives on in the minds of others. Carroll Moore will be remembered always....
No. 44 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 19 SEP 1998.	No. 45 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 SEP 1998, ~19:01 CDT.
No. 46 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 SEP 1998, ~19:10 CDT.	No. 47 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 DEC 1998, ~12:31 CST.

Hitchcock's Gallery - The Man Behind the Shadows
Legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock made a cameo appearance in every movie he directed. In several of Erik Hubl's photographs of the CMMS, Erik's shadow makes a cameo appearance. "The man behind the shadows" deserves recognition as the person who worked behind the scenes to facilitate proper installation of the sundial. Well done, Erik!
No. 48 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 19 SEP 1998, 09:05:00 CDT.	No. 49 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 SEP 1998, ~19:05 CDT.
No. 50 1/8-size \| 1/2-size \| full-size 22 DEC 1998, ~12:31 CST.	No. 51 1/2-size \| full-size Hyde Memorial Observatory.

© Copyright 2003-2012 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved. Photographs courtesy Erik Hubl, Chairman, Hyde Memorial Observatory. Thumbnail images prepared using photoweb v3.0 by Phil Wherry & Eric Johnston. Me and My Shadow - Making the Sun-Earth Connection \| SCSA Home

The Carroll Moore Memorial Sundial Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE 40° 50' 21.4" N latitude, 96° 39' 01.3" W longitude

The Carroll Moore Memorial Sundial
Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE
40° 50' 21.4" N latitude, 96° 39' 01.3" W longitude