The Thoard analemmatic sundial is one of only forty of its kind in France. Have fun guessing the time… according to your own shadow!
This type of dial consists of an ellipse drawn on the ground, on which the hours of the day are marked. The observer places himself on the small dial according to the date, and his shadow intersects the ellipse at a point corresponding to solar time. It’s a little less precise than your connected watch… but reliable after a few calculations! It’s worth noting that this dial is approximately 25 minutes ahead of universal time, as Thoard is located at 6°25 East longitude, and 60 minutes behind (legal winter time). In daylight saving time, this delay must be increased by one hour. You’ll also need to take into account the equation of time. Don’t worry, everything is explained on site!
And if you’ve got a bit of time left over, take a stroll through the beautiful village of Thoard or explore the Duyes Valley, one of the emblematic valleys of the Haute-Provence Geopark.
