The Fontvieille Dial Maker is made for those curious about astronomy and the measurement of time.
History of science, astronomical navigation techniques, scientific objects… Our steps will lead us to various related subjects, with the common thread of the pleasure of discovering and understanding!
School teachers, astronomy enthusiasts, or simply curious: you are welcome!
Blog
Illustrated articles to uncover the mysteries of time measurement and related topics.
Activities
Fun activities for the curious of all ages. To be done alone, in a group or in class: discovering together is understanding!
Latest articles
A new sundial in La Farlède !
Going from this: a marble slab at the stonemason’s… To this : As you can see in the GIF above, the virtual Papophoplon (see here)
The impact of obliquity on the equation of time
Here is a Geogebra animation that allows you to visualise the equation of time due to obliquity (the tilt of the Earth on its axis
Virtual Papophoplon
If you do not have a physical papophoplon, you can still find out the difference between legal time (the time on your watch) and solar
Papophoplon: Why does it work? (The theory)
In this article, we explain the three adjustments made by the Papophoplon. 1. Summer time or winter time? The first difference between solar time and
Papophoplon: How does it work? (in practice)
How to convert solar time to clock time? Frustrated by looking at a sundial and finding that it doesn’t show the same time as your
Le Cadranier – Finance
An independent consultant at your service! After fifteen years of international auditing (in England, France, the United States and Gabon), I founded FinHarmony in 2001
How should the hours be counted?
Depending on the region and culture, the beginning of the day has been defined as the moment when the Sun rises or when it sets.
Nova, Supernova, Hypernova, Kilonova: let’s take stock!
As the name suggests, a nova is initially detected as a new star. In reality, it is an existing star, which suddenly becomes much brighter:
Introduction to sundials
Discover sundials, build one and leave with it! A team work session to create your first sundial. Explanations and crafts. Participants leave with their own sundial.
It turns !
Observe variations in shadow size through personal measurements and understand seasonal variations. In teams, the children choose the shadow of a familiar building that they
Eratosthenes
Redo the experiment that allowed the first measurement of the size of the Earth! By measuring the shadow cast by a sundial in two places