Quitsato Sundial

Quitsato Sundial
Quitsato Sundial
	Panoramic view of Quitsato Sundial located exactly at Equator. Because of its design, the shadow projected by the gnomon on the dial lines can indicate solstices, equinoxes, and also months of the year with great precision.
General information
Type	Sundial
Address	La Mitad Del Mundo
Town or city	Cayambe
Country	Ecuador
Opened	2006
Inaugurated	2007
Dimensions
Diameter	54 m
Technical details
Floor area	2300 m2

00°00′00″N 78°10′30″W / 0.00000°N 78.17500°W / 0.00000; -78.17500

The Quitsato Sundial is a cultural-tourist place located at La Mitad Del Mundo, near to Cayambe, 47 km north of Quito, Ecuador. It was built in 2006 and inaugurated in 2007 as an independent, non-profit project in a 24,756 ft² (2,300 m²) area. Its main goal is to share crucial aspects of the astronomical knowledge of the prehispanic cultures of the region. The expositions are carried out by community members as a self-sustaining project.

Projection of the shadow of the gnomon at the equinox. Cayambe (volcano) can be seen behind, the only place where the Equator passes through a glacier. Also, it is the highest point on the Equator in the world.

^ Instituto Geográfico Militar de Ecuador (24 January 2005). "Memoria Técnica de la Determinación de la Latitud Cero" (in Spanish).

[Informe_que_determina_la_posición_de_la_Línea_Ecuatorial-1] Instituto Geográfico Militar de Ecuador (24 January 2005). "Memoria Técnica de la Determinación de la Latitud Cero" (in Spanish).

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