Papers of Ronald N. Bracewell > Additional Materials about Bracewell Series > Bracewell Sundial at the VLA Unit

Barney Rickett and Barry Clark at Bracewell Sundial

Description: Radio astronomers Barney Rickett and Barry Clark stand by the signatures that they had chiseled into the Stanford piers under Bracewell's supervision a half century before.

Bracewell Sundial Dedication

Description: The crowd gathered on 23 September 2013 for the sundial's dedication ceremony, as reflected in the gnomon.

Start Date: 2013-09-23

Drone View of Bracewell Sundial

Description: A drone view of the concrete pad portion of the dial early on the morning of 24 June 2018. White diamonds enclose the 7 commemorative markers, red ovals the 3 observatory markers and 2 black diamonds typical month/hour indicators. The blue circle…

Start Date: 2018-06-24

Angelica Vargas at Bracewell Sundial

Description: Angelica Vargas of the New Mexico Tech Astronomy Club re-paints Bracewell's signature on the sundial's noon pier.

Bracewell Sundial "First Shadow" Day

Description: Key persons for the project on "First Shadow" Day, 23 September 2013: (l. to r.) Woody Sullivan, Guy Stanzione, Miller Goss, Bob Lash and Judy Stanley.

Start Date: 2013-09-23

Bracewell Sundial Sign

Description: A sign on the VLA's self-guided walking tour explains the radio sundial to visitors.

Bracewell Sundial "First Shadow"

Description: An impromptu May pole dance immediately followed the sundial's "first shadow."

Bracewell Sundial Ribbon Cutting

Description: Ribbons are cut by Mark and Wendy Bracewell for the official "first shadow" at precisely solar noon. Note the gnomon's shadow covering the large central disk.

Bracewell Sundial Gnomon Shadow

Description: A long shadow cast by the gnomon on the winter solstice of 2013 almost reaches the base of the 4th pier; the front edge of each hour-pier was placed 20 inches (51 cm) beyond the center of the winter solstice shadow.

Woody Sullivan at the Bracewell Sundial

Description: Sullivan uses a 1940s era surveyor's transit to establish the locations of all markers and piers. The midday sun, used to determine true north, is at an uncomfortably high altitude.

Bracewell Radio Sundial Construction

Description: A pier is gently lowered into place by a crane.

Bracewell Sundial Markers

Description: The 3 antenna-shaped markers indicating related radio astronomy observatories, including Bracewell's Heliopolis. They are positioned at the VLA solar time corresponding to each observatory's local solar noon.

Bracewell Sundial Plaques

Description: The 7 miniature plaques commemorating dates important in the history of radio astronomy. The sun's shadow passes over each marker on the date it commemorates.

Bracewell Sundial Gnomon

Description: The polished stainless steel gnomon (18-inch (46 cm) diameter) reflecting the photographer, the sundial and the near-horizon skies above the Plains of San Agustin.

Bracewell Sundial Central Disk

Description: The large, central disk (20-inch (51 cm) diameter) anchoring the entire pattern at noon on the equinoxes. One of the two dial mottos can be read along the bottom edge.

Bracewell Sundial Solstice and Equinox Markers

Description: Sample solstice and equinox markers with subtle seasonal patterns decorating the outer rims.

Bracewell Sundial Sidereal Time Markers

Description: Sample sidereal time markers for the radio sources Cassiopeia A. Cygnus A and Centaurus A. The sidereal time at which the disk would fall in the gnomon's "radio shadow" is indicated beneath a drawing of the traditional constellation (and its…

Bracewell Sundial

Description: The long, ellipsoidal arc of Cassiopeia A's radio shadow track stretches out into a road, although for practical purposes the plaques do not extend quite so far. A portion of the Cygnus A radio shadow track is also seen.

W.M. Goss at Bracewell Sundial

Description: Goss demonstrates how the sundial can be used as a sighting device for where each of three radio sources lies: place your eye as close as possible to the relevant radio source's disk and look on past the gnomon.

Stanford 10-ft Dish

Description: The lone surviving 10-ft dish of the original 32, after refurbishment and placement near the VLA sundial.

Bracewell Sundial at Heliopolis

Description: One of Bracewell's sundials at the Heliopolis site in 1979, constructed from a radio telescope gear wheel.

Start Date: 1979

Bracewell Radio Sundial's Gnomon

Description: The Bracewell Radio Sundial's gnomon casts a faint shadow on the afternoon of a cloudy day. IN the background, the VLA observes a radio source unaffected by the clouds.