The Thoard analemmatic dial is composed of an ellipse drawn on the ground with the hours of the day. The observer positions himself on the small dial according to the date and his shadow intersects the ellipse at a point corresponding to solar time.
Description
The Thoard analemmatic dial is one of forty of its kind in France. Have fun guessing the time... based on your own shadow!
This type of dial is composed of an ellipse drawn on the ground on which the hours of the day are shown. The observer places himself on the small dial according to the date and his shadow cuts the ellipse at a point which corresponds to solar time. It will be a little less precise than your connected watch… but reliable after a few calculations! You should know that this dial is about 25 minutes ahead of universal time because Thoard is located at 6°25 east longitude and that it is 60 minutes behind (legal winter time). In summer time, this delay will have to be increased by one hour. You will also have to take into account the equation of time. Don't worry, everything is explained on site!
And if you have a little time left, take the opportunity to stroll through the beautiful village of Thoard or explore the Duyes Valley, one of the emblematic valleys of the Haute-Provence Geopark.
Rates / opening
Prices
Free.