Star nocturnal dial

Nocturnal Dial

$35.00

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Sorry, this Nocturnal is out of stock, but we have the Tricolor Nocturnal available.

Tell time by the stars!

Sundials are fine during daylight, but what about night? Here is an accurate, low-tech (and may we add very green) way to tell time by the stars.

Carefully hand-crafted, the Nocturnal has a bronze-colored base with pewter center and a copper-colored arm. It comes on a 30 inch black silk cord.

Click to enlarge.

A diagram of with major constellations centered around Polaris is on the reverse. A photograph of the back is found on the left.

The Nocturnal or horologium nocturnum was first used in the 15th century by navigators who needed to tell time by the position of the stars. This particular star dial uses the North Star (Polaris) and the Big Dipper to determine the hour.

Read our tutorial on telling time with a horologium nocturnum to see how to use the Nocturnal. This is written in two parts: part I is a worked example, part II is interactive.

The Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence, Italy has a very nice introduction to Nocturnal science in English (in Italian).

Written instructions are included.

Dimensions: 1.13 inches (2.8 cm) in diameter.

If you're looking for something really special, take a look at the gold and silver Nocturnal.

Made in Canada.

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Child Safety Notice: Some products, such as domestically handcrafted products, do not have independent laboratory safety testing certificates available. These products are made with care by skilled craftsmen using thoughtfully chosen materials. To comply with the Federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, no such product is intended for use by children under 13 years of age and shall be treated as a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (15 U.S.C. 1261 et seq.).