December 12, 2022 — Skylar Bixby and Jeremy Van Meel, two students in Dr. Phillip Pinon’s Exploring Honors Mathematics class, have designed and 3D-printed a new sundial for the Kika Silva Pla Planetarium.
The previous sundial had to be retired, and the new sundial occupies the same location in front of the entrance to the Planetarium.
“This new sundial has been mathematically designed for its exact location, and it was exciting to see very ancient astronomical knowledge coupled with very modern manufacturing technology to create this beautiful instrument,” remarked Dr. Pinon.
This is the conclusion of a semester-long project for Bixby and Van Meel, who proudly inscribed their names on their creation, along with instructions for the public on how to compute the clock time from the local solar time given by the sundial.
James Albury, manager of the Kika Silva Pla Planetarium, said, “I am very grateful for this wonderful gift that Dr. P., Skylar and Jeremy have given to our community. Thanks to them, Gavin Yurchisin’s Eagle project has found new life!”