john.s.stokes3@gmail.com
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The SunRing Circular Sun Shadow Casters created for the successful winter 2023 solstice disintegrated after the winter rains. By early June 2024 I was busy creating the inaugural set of Triangular Sun Shadow Casters for the summer solstice and I also made a replacement set for the 2024 Winter Solstice, still more than a half year away.
The remains of the Shadow Casters used for Winter Solstice 2023
The thick plywood delaminated into many thin layers and eventually broke apart
Cutting the largest of the Winter Solstice Circular Sun Shadow Casters.
The new shadow casters were installed on the supports used for the 2023 winter solstice.
Quite a few layers of indoor-outdoor gold spray paint was applied to the circles to make them (hopefully) waterproof
Another view of the shadow casters.
As the winter solstice approaches the circles will have to be more precisely aligned
After about a week of waiting, finally got a good enough sunrise to check out the Circular Sun Sadow Casters for the upcoming winter solstice on December 21.
Sunrise at 6:57 AM
Circular shadows at 6:58 AM - Already rather direct
SunRing shadow projection screen at 6:59 AM
Designed to show the oscillation between winter and summer
SunRing shadow projection screen at 6:59 AM
The big triangle was blown off kilter by a recent Santa Ana
The precise moment of winter solstice occurs tonight. So today and tomorrow are the best days for the SunRing winter solstice viewing. This morning was very clear! I did my best to align the Shadow Casters prior to sunrise. Improved over the previous viewing, but still need to move the biggest circle a little bit. I will use Photoshop to analyze the photos this afternoon. Current forecast is for fog tomorrow morning along the coast. We may be on the inland boundary.
Sunrise at 6:59 AM
Sunrise at 6:59 AM
First shadows at 7:00 AM
SunRing at 7:01 AM
Sunrise at 7:01 AM
Although there were high clouds to the east and fog to the west, we had success with the sunrise! Hopefully by next year I'll have robust metal Shadow Casters install with a mechanism for easy calibration.
Sunrise at 7:00 AM
Shadows at 7:01 AM
SunRing at 7:02 AM
©2024 John S. Stokes III