The device in the photo is a digital sundial that displays time only during the day - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 18, 2022
A photo through a post is being widely shared on social media claiming the object to be a clock. The post even claims that the clock shows the time in a shadow, depending on the position of the sun. Let us fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo of a clock that shows time in shadow.
Fact: The photo is of a digital sundial that displays time digitally. These sundials work during daylight hours, mostly from 10:00 to 16:00 hours. And they need to be adjusted based on its latitude on the planet. There is a difference between time from a sundial vis-à-vis standard clock time. Sundials tell time from the Sun. The apparent movement of the Sun is not quite regular as it will advance or slip in a year because of the earth’s annual oval orbit, and its tilted axis. Presently, the hours in the clocks are made regular as they run at the Sun’s average rate for the year.
When reverse image search is done on the photo, a similar photo was found on a website. The website says that the object displaying time through its shadow is a 3D Printed Digital Sundial.
When we searched on the internet with relevant keywords, it was found that such sundials were available for purchase online. These sundials come in various sizes and colours. It must be noted that these sundials work during daylight hours, mostly from 10:00 to 16:00 hours. And they need to be adjusted based on their latitude on the planet. Some of these sundials count in 20-minute intervals only. There are videos available online (here and here) that show the working of such digital sundials.
Sundials and Digital Sundials:
Sundials are one of the earliest timekeeping devices. Sundial is an instrument for reading time during daylight hours from the position of the Sun. They usually cast a line or triangle to indicate the hour. However, digital sundials display current time using digits, which have been developed quite recently. These devices operate without electricity and have no moving parts. The sunlight is cast through a precisely designed object in the shape of numbers that show an almost accurate time of the day. “The shape of the sundial has been mathematically designed to only let through the right sunrays at the right time/angle”.
Difference between sundials and standard clocks:
There is a difference between time from a sundial vis-à-vis standard clock time. Sundials tell time from the Sun. The apparent movement of the Sun is not quite regular as it will advance or slip in a year because of the earth’s annual oval orbit, and its tilted axis. Today, the hours in the clocks are made regular as they run at the Sun’s average rate for the year.
To sum it up, the device in the photo is a digital sundial that displays time only during daylight hours.