Shadows

Shadows is a cool app that lets you create your own sundials and astrolabes! You know those old-school devices that tell time using the Sun's shadow? Well, this app takes it up a notch. With Shadows, you can not only make sundials but also predict where different stars will be in the sky. It's like having a mini astronomy lab right on your computer!

Design Your Own Sundials

The best part? You can use templates and calculations already built into the app for places all over the globe. Whether you want a horizontal, polar, or equatorial sundial, Shadows has got you covered. Just pick a country and location parameters from the list provided. And guess what? The app even gives you coordinates and time zone info for each spot! You can change them if needed or add your own.

Customize Your Sundial's Look

Once you've made your choice, it's time to jazz up your sundial's design! You can pick a numbering system in 24-hour format, add extra lines for every 30, 15, or even 5 minutes—how neat is that? Plus, you get to choose custom shapes too! Whether you want it rectangular, elliptical, or hexagonal, it's all possible.

Understanding Time with Shadows

Now here’s something interesting: to figure out the mean time for any date, you'll need to check out something called the equation of time. This curve helps you adjust solar time to get the mean time right. Thankfully, Shadows displays a graph that shows how many minutes to add or subtract. Easy peasy!

Easily Print or Export Your Designs

After you're done creating your masterpiece sundial or astrolabe and have set everything up just how you want it, printing is super simple! You can print directly from the app with all the lines and markings you've chosen included. Want to take it further? Exporting your design as an AutoCAD-compatible DXF file is also an option!

User-Friendly Experience

This app might seem like it’s meant for pros who know their way around sundials and astrolabes—but don’t worry! The whole process is pretty straightforward once you're familiar with some basic terms or do a little research first. So whether you're an expert or just curious about making these devices yourself, give it a try!