The Sundial Cannon of Åtvidaberg (2017)
The Sundial Cannon in Åtvidaberg, Sweden, is the only functioning sundial cannon, firing daily at 1 PM from May to September, restored in 1986 after being silent due to modern timekeeping.
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The Sundial Cannon in Åtvidaberg, Sweden, is the only functioning sundial cannon in the world, originally installed in 1853. This unique timekeeping device combines a cannon with a magnifying glass that focuses sunlight onto gunpowder, igniting it to signal noon with a loud bang. Historically, such devices were used in parks and estates to announce midday, allowing ships and the public to adjust their timepieces. The Åtvidaberg cannon is housed in a red brick tower near Bysjön Lake and fires daily at 1 PM from May to September. On sunny days, the sunlight ignites the cannon automatically, while on cloudy days, a gunner uses a match to fire it. The cannon fell silent with the advent of modern timekeeping but was restored to working order in 1986. It serves as a historical landmark and a reminder of the past methods of timekeeping.
- The Sundial Cannon is the only functioning one in the world, located in Åtvidaberg, Sweden.
- It was installed in 1853 and restored in 1986 after falling silent due to modern timekeeping.
- The cannon fires daily at 1 PM from May to September, using sunlight or a match to ignite the gunpowder.
- Historically, sundial cannons were used to signal noon for ships and the public.
- The cannon is housed in a red brick tower near Bysjön Lake.
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9 commentshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemma
So the mechanism of a uniaxial gimbal (as pictured in the examples at end of article, and presumably manually adjusted) holding the magnifying glass would seem to introduce some error over the course of a year. But I like the concept, having some weird affinity for automation based on low-tech / earlier-tech principles.
Adelsnäs where the cannon is was built by some mining baron, as far as i remember.
I’m joking but this is also a real thing. For an example, see this code in the astrolib port used by SensorWatch’s “movement” project:
https://github.com/joeycastillo/Sensor-Watch/blob/e8f31beb70...
Not at local noon?
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