What historical instrument utilized the shortest shadow cast during the day to mark solar noon?
Answer
Gnomon
Historically, observers used gnomons, which are simple vertical sticks, to measure shadows. The shortest shadow cast always occurs at solar noon, indicating the moment of highest altitude.
Related Questions
What is the technical term for the Sun's direction along the horizon?What altitude measurement corresponds to the Sun being directly overhead?What dictates the fundamental daily motion of the Sun appearing to rise and set?In the Northern Hemisphere during summer months, where does the Sun rise relative to due east?What is the approximate measure of the Earth's axial tilt relative to its orbital plane?What condition characterizes the equinoxes regarding the lengths of day and night?What phenomenon occurs in locations deep within the Arctic Circle during winter?Where does someone standing at the Equator (latitude 0°) see the Sun almost directly overhead twice a year?In the Northern Hemisphere, what direction does the line pointing toward the Sun's highest point at local solar noon indicate?How is the solar zenith angle calculated using the altitude?Why do two towns separated east-to-west within the same time zone experience solar noon at different clock times?What historical instrument utilized the shortest shadow cast during the day to mark solar noon?