What If Sundials Were Invented in the
Southern Hemisphere?
Sundials are early inventions
of human beings for time purposes. The length of the shadow of the stone called
obelisk and shadow clock determines the time of the day. According to history, the
earliest sundials were invented by the Egyptians and Babylonians. Egypt happens
to be located in Northern Hemisphere. What is the relevance of this?
The sundial is the basis for
the creation of the clock; hence, we have the terms clockwise and
counter-clockwise. Clockwise is the movement of the hour, minute and second
hands from left to right in circular motion while counter-clockwise is the
movement of the hour, minute and second hands from right to left in circular
motion.
The hands of the clock rotate
clockwise because sundial, which is the forerunner of the clock, was invented
in the Northern Hemisphere. If sundials were invented in Australia or
anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere, the clock’s hands movement should have
been counter-clockwise or anti-clockwise.
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