NWU Equatorial Sundial - the "Carroll Moore Memorial Sundial"
Inscriptions, two (2) bronze plaques:

Plaque 1

[text centered]
"In memory of; Carroll L. Moore; Professor of Physics; 1955-1988 [33 
years]; given by his family; 1997" [deceased 03 DEC 1996]

Plaque 2

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To Read the Sun Dial:
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The gnomon is the steel bar that casts the shadow on the dial face. Each 
small mark on the dial indicates 5 minutes of time. Estimate time by 
placing your finger at the point where the center of the shadow meets the 
outer dial circle. This is known as apparent solar time but still has to 
be corrected for the Equation of Time. Refer to the chart below and add or 
subtract the correct number of minutes to the time read on the sun dial. 
The result should be within a couple of minutes when compared to an 
accurately set watch.

[Note: The gnomon casts a shadow that appears to be approx. 40 minutes 
wide; estimate the center of the gnomon shadow by counting halfway across 
its width (20 min.).]

During daylight savings [sic] time, add one hour to the net result.

The equation of time, and its nearly 16 minutes of difference, is a result 
of the Earth's orbit around the sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis.

The Earth's orbit is not circular, it is elliptical. Therefore the Earth 
moves around the Sun at a varying rate. The Earth's tilt causes the sun to 
appear lower and higher in the sky during different seasons and as such 
introduces a slight variation. The combination of these two motions causes 
sun time to speed up and to slow down. This is known as the equation of 
time and is recorded on the chart.

[insert one graph, showing EoT JAN-DEC]

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ABOUT THE SUN DIAL
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A sun dial indicates apparent solar time at the observer's meridian. On a 
simple sun dial, high noon would read 12:00 on the dial.

A meridian is a true north and south line at a specified location. The 
local meridian of this dial is 96 degrees 39 minutes west of the 
Greenwich, England meridian. Central time is based on the 90th meridian. 
The remaining 6 degrees 39 minutes equate to approximately 26 minutes of 
time, therefore the dial was set with 12:26 pointed downward or on our 
local meridian.

The metal gnomon points to the north celestial pole and makes a 40 degree 
50 minute angle with the base of the sun dial. The angle is also equal to 
the latitude of this location.

During the summer months when the sun is high in the sky, the north dial 
face is read for time. The south dial face is read during winter months 
when the sun is lower in the sky.

On the Vernal (spring) and Autumnal (fall) Equinox, there will be a short 
period of time when there is no shadow on either dial face. During this 
time the sun's rays will strike the dial face edge on.

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By a shadow I explain the heavens
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